I love Elden Ring Nightreign. If you had asked me, when Elden Ring came out, if I’d be up for a brutal, multiplayer, FromSoftware roguelike, I’d have laughed you out of the room. But it turns out that FromSoft’s particular flavors of bullshit nonsense mechanics on giant, goopy bosses with too many limbs just work for me. Unfortunately, I am approaching an “end” to Nightreign, as my team will soon have done all there really is that we want to do in that game. So we need something else to do. If only FromSoft were releasing another multiplayer game sometime soon, and if only there were some sort of opportunity available for me to check out the game ahead of release to see if it’s something I want to invest another *checks Nightreign playtime* oh God, 150+ hours in.
A-ha!
The Duskbloods is getting a closed network test at the end of August. The operative word there is “closed.” You can’t just waltz in. You have to sign up using your Nintendo account between July 22 at 7 a.m. PT and July 28 at 6:59 a.m. PT. Then, if you’re picked, you’ll be told on August 7 (apparently at exactly 6:00 a.m. PT) and will receive a download code for the network test. The actual network test takes place on the following dates and times, for those who are selected:
- Aug. 21, 2026 (Fri.) 3:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. PT
- Aug. 21, 2026 (Fri.) 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. PT
- Aug. 22, 2026 (Sat.) 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. PT
- Aug. 23, 2026 (Sun.) 3:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. PT
- Aug. 23, 2026 (Sun.) 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. PT
There are some stipulations here. You obviously need a Nintendo Switch 2, the only system on which this game is playable. Secondly, FromSoftware is forbidding anyone from posting screenshots or videos of The Duskbloods network test, and will disable the capture button on the Switch 2. I cannot fathom that this will stop dedicated people from screenshotting or streaming it anyway and am baffled they are even trying to limit this, but whatever.
It’s weird to be stoked for a network test, but I’m actually really hoping I can get into this one. Mostly, it’s because I still feel like I don’t have a great sense of what The Duskbloods really is. I know it’s a vampire game, sure. It’s also apparently an action game like other FromSoftware titles, but one that supports up to eight players in a combined PvP and PvE environment. Play consists of matches in which players have different objectives depending on the history and attributes of the character they’ve selected, and will try to earn “Victory Points” to determine the match outcomes. But I don’t really know what any of that means! Who am I? Does this game have a very mysterious story told primarily through item descriptions? Is it very much like Bloodborne, or very much not? I’m just so curious!
I will be signing up for the network test when the floodgates open a week from today, and I hope to return to you after the test in August with more information on what it’s like to be a cool FromSoftware vampire. We still don’t have a final release date for The Duskbloods, just a vague “2026” window, but I think we can now safely say it won’t be out in July or, probably, August. Maybe in time for Halloween, then?