FromSoftware’s next title is almost here!
Elden Ring Nightreign is something we didn’t expect. Revealed at last year’s “The Game Awards”, Nightreign takes the Elden Ring formula and changes it into a multiplayer-focused title, where you take on the many formidable bosses of Elden Ring (and other FromSoftware titles) in groups of three, in roguelike fashion.
We recently went hands-on with the title in a network test preview; let’s go over what we experienced and everything we know about Elden Ring Nightreign.
Elden Ring Nightreign Release Date + Platforms
Elden Ring Nightreign, developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco, is releasing May 30th, 2025, on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
What Is Elden Ring Nightreign?
Elden Ring Nightreign takes the core combat and exploration of Elden Ring and puts a multiplayer first spin on it. Think of Elden Ring but if it also took in aspects from the roguelike and battle royale genres. Players will choose from predefined archetypes such as a warrior or a magic-based wizard and drop into the world of Elden Ring in three-player runs.
From here, players will traverse the world with an enclosing storm, split into 3 days with a formidable boss at the end of each. All the while collecting randomized new gear, upgrades, and other things to help you in your run.
It hasn’t been fully clear on what carries over between runs or the main pull to keep players coming back, but we can expect some kind of main progression system and unlocks that would make subsequent runs easier or more customized.
Network Test Impressions
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect going into Elden Ring Nightreign. Most of the time I’ve played a FromSoftware game, it hasn’t been with other players, it’s been me, myself and I staring down a ferocious boss, learning move sets in tense situations, overcoming at first what feels like impossible odds. The only time I’ve ended up playing with others is when all hope is lost and I’m stuck at a brick wall, then quickly retreat back to playing on my own, despite my better judgement.
I feel like playing on your own against deadly bosses and exploring treacherous landscapes on your lonesome is what FromSoftware games are about and gives you a rush that almost no other game can achieve. Elden Ring Nighreign looked to me like it would upend that feeling, with a safety net of two other players removing a lot of that mysterious aura that a FromSoftware game provides.
After playing a few hours of Elden Ring Nightreign, I came away thinking that there definitely is a space for this type of game in the FromSoft community , but I don’t know if it will ever hit the peaks of the games that it’s building from.
The network test had a few screens that explained the main functions of Elden Ring Nightreign, mainly the enclosing storm and those surrounding elements. Control-wise, everything is exactly the same as Elden Ring, only taking me a few minutes to reacquaint myself.
“Where we dropping bois?” I thought as I flew in on a spectral bird with my two randomly paired party members. At first, it felt out of place; this wasn’t what I expected of a FromSoft game as I honed in on a part of the map. Once I was on the ground, I had a map that seemed completely filled with icons, and I wasn’t quite sure where I was going or what my main aim was. After a few confused minutes, the general aim becomes clear: to build your character as much as you can in preparation for the main bosses of each day.
I sprinted from point to point, aided with a new mantle interaction, helping my character climb over obstacles without issue. I took down random placements of enemies, collecting currency, equipment and anything else that looked important. There are multiple sites of graces littered throughout the map that allow you to level up, along with continuous drops that keep in line with the leveling of my character. There are three days in a Nightreign session, each day with its own encircling storm similar to Fortnite or Apex Legends, that begins to close in on the map, forcing you to move to certain areas.
At the centre of each storm is a formidable boss that needs to be taken down in order to progress to the following day. In my short play sessions, I never beat the final boss on the last day, despite coming close a few times. Outside of these runs, it was not clear what type of meta progression would be present in Elden Ring Nightreign, or what would be the main pull to get players to come back.
It honestly all felt like a whirlwind, a regular Elden Ring session on fast forward. Enemies were dispatched quickly, especially if my other party members were in my vicinity. Party members are free to stick together or run off on their own; the encircling storm brings everyone back together anyway for the final bosses, where cooperation is definitely required. Outside of the bosses at the end of each day, most of the enemies I ran into were somewhat easy to take down, although this is just a network test and balancing can be adjusted throughout the games lifecycle.
Despite this being an unorthodox experience that a FromSoftware fan may not be used to, I found myself enjoying it. However, if you are in the mood for something in line with the rest of FromSoftware’s catalogue, then Elden Ring Nighreign does not entirely fit that bill, trading in tense fights and exploring the unknown for a more focused multiplayer experience that encourages teamwork and experimentation.
