We first learned about The Duskbloods, FromSoftware’s new multiplayer game, over a year ago, and now we’re finally getting a chance to play it. When I first saw the trailer, I immediately thought of Elden Ring: Nightreign. Both games are challenging action games like the ‘Souls’ series, but they focus on large groups of players instead of a single hero. With a network test scheduled for Nintendo Switch 2 from August 21st to 24th, 2026, all attention is on FromSoftware. The biggest worry is whether Duskbloods will be truly exceptional, or just another good multiplayer game, compared to the developer’s other popular titles.
Even though we don’t know a lot yet, it’s becoming clear that The Duskbloods and Nightreign are distinct games despite sharing similar environments. The Duskbloods focuses on both player-versus-player and player-versus-environment combat, meaning you’ll face both massive bosses and other players while competing for victory. Winning isn’t just about defeating a final enemy; the objectives are varied – you might need to hunt down opponents or even help other players – which drastically changes how the game is played. While the games may look similar at first glance, these differences in gameplay should ensure a fresh experience.
The Duskbloods Isn’t Elden Ring Nightreign 2
When Nightreign unexpectedly appeared, many people thought it would be a shallow, quickly-made game. However, it turned out to be surprisingly fun, taking inspiration from Elden Ring but offering a faster-paced, unique co-op experience. Now, with Duskbloods, some of those initial concerns are resurfacing. But based on the trailers, it looks like much more than just another roguelike in the soulslike genre.
The game is packed with exciting elements like jetpacks, dinosaurs, and massive moons! Adding player-versus-player (PvP) combat drastically alters how the game is played. In a normal Nightreign playthrough, you’d typically spend time leveling up, defeating bosses, and finally facing the Nightlord – a predictable flow. However, The Duskbloods breaks from this pattern because it doesn’t have one main goal. Instead, players earn Victory Points through various actions, not just fighting. This creates opportunities for all kinds of playstyles—strategic, stealthy, or aggressive—and allows different characters to really shine.
As a fan coming from Nightreign, I’m really excited by the sheer number of Bloodsworn characters – there are over a dozen! They all have unique weapons and skills, which feels pretty familiar. But it looks like choosing your character in this game will matter even more than it did in Nightreign. From what I’ve seen in gameplay and interviews, each Bloodsworn could seriously change how you approach every fight. Plus, you can customize them outside of battles too, upgrading their stats and basically defining what role they play on the battlefield. It seems way more involved than the chalice system in Nightreign, which is a great thing – it adds a lot more depth!
The Duskbloods Offers a Brand New Story
As a big fan, one of the things that really stands out to me about Nightreign versus The Duskbloods is how different the stories and worlds are. Nightreign had the amazing foundation of Elden Ring to build on, and it still managed to do its own thing and introduce ideas that could show up in future games. But with The Duskbloods, FromSoftware has created a completely original universe – it doesn’t seem to connect to anything they’ve done before, which was surprising since a lot of us were hoping for some link after seeing ‘blood’ in the title! The game is set during what they’re calling ‘The Twilight of Humanity,’ and you’re brought in from different times and places to compete with other ‘Bloodsworn’ for ultimate glory. It’s a pretty mysterious setup, and doesn’t give away much about the overall story, but they’ve said we’ll be able to learn more about the world and its history through gameplay, which is exciting. Hopefully, that will give us a better understanding of everything that’s going on.
Setting aside how the games play, the story is where these two really stand apart. While Nightreign has good background lore, it’s ultimately overshadowed by the epic scope of Elden Ring, and its extra story moments felt like they only served to connect back to the main plot. The Duskbloods, however, feels much more open-ended. It draws inspiration from other sources without being limited by them, which allows for deeper character development and a richer history that still makes sense within a player-versus-player-versus-environment setting.
It’s obvious that The Duskbloods and Nightreign, while taking place in comparable settings, are actually quite distinct games.
FromSoftware’s biggest challenge now is showing Switch 2 owners that their new game offers a lasting experience. Unlike traditional single-player games, its success depends entirely on maintaining a large, active player base each month. While the Switch 2 might seem like an unusual place for this intense PvPvE game – especially given it’s exclusive to the platform – Nintendo’s excellent first-party games have consistently drawn people into handheld gaming. The upcoming tech test is also smart; it will help fix bugs, prepare servers for launch, and fine-tune gameplay balance. There’s a lot of excitement around this game, and expectations are incredibly high, but if any developer can deliver, it’s FromSoftware.
2026-07-20 18:11