The conclave through a gamer’s eyes. Spanish TV included footage from Dark Souls 3 in its report

In Spain, news coverage of the conclave unexpectedly crossed paths with Dark Souls 3. One TV channel included a boss fight scene from the game in its report to convey the tension of what was unfolding in the Vatican.

On May 7, the cardinals officially began the election of a new Pope, and viewers were shown an unusual interpretation of the event: footage from the Vatican was alternated with a clip of the battle against Pontiff Sulyvahn (second 26 of the video via the Reddit link). This is a boss from Dark Souls 3 who resides in a gothic cathedral visually reminiscent of Catholic temples.

The in-game character in the segment wore armor resembling papal vestments, and the insertion itself was framed with humor. As the journalists later explained, this was an intentional artistic device. According to them, if the papal election were played out like a video game, this is exactly what it would look like.

The clip of this fragment quickly went viral, triggering a wave of discussions on social networks and a flood of memes. Viewers joked that all that remains now is to elect Pontiff Sulyvahn, while some even suggested making a story-driven game based on the real conclave.

While some television channels adhere to a classic presentation style, the Spanish broadcast proved that even serious events can be presented in an unconventional way—and it actually works.

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Cover art author: FromSoftware. Cover art source: Dark Souls