New Details On What 'Elden Ring Nightreign' Actually Is

Elden Ring Nightreign

FromSoft

One of the biggest shocks from The Game Awards was the announcement that after Elden Ring’s 2023 release and Shadow of the Erdtree’s 2024 release, there will now be a 2025 release of something called Elden Right Nightreign, a standalone new game.

It’s…different.

It is set in the world of Elden Ring, but it’s a co-op survival game unlike the previous two pieces of content. This was not really explained at all in the show itself past that base concept, but FromSoftware has now elaborated on what this game actually is. The highlights:

It’s meant to be played in squads of three, but you can also play solo, where it will be much harder. There is a three day and night cycle you’re meant to survive. The maps change as you play and the night cycle shrinks the map. You will “never experience the same journey twice.” You fight a “terrifying boss” at the end of each day, after the final day you fight one of a selection of “Nightlords,” big bosses. The game is set in a universe parallel to the events of Elden Ring, which may offer some insight into why someone like Dark Souls’ Nameless King is there. There are eight unique characters that have unique abilities and a powerful “Ultimate.” So uh, Elden Ring hero shooter? (not really, of course).

Elden Ring Nightreign

FromSoft If you fail you still get relics that let you customize and upgrade your character to match your playstyle. The harder enemies you beat and the harder parts of the map you explore will reward powerful weapons and Runes. Every journey rewards lasting stat bonuses. You find Sites of Grace to level up to gain power with sessions meant to play like an “open-air dungeon.” Beating the Nightlords will reveal lore behind each of the heroes you play as.

That all sounds…very cool! Granted, I am not really either a co-op or survival game person, but with a FromSoft spin on the idea? Yeah sure, I’m certainly going to give that a try, and this is certainly going to be a hugely popular release in 2025. And perhaps, a Game of the Year contender from Elden Ring for the third year in a row. At least it’s a standalone game this time!

We do not have a month or season window for the 2025 release of Nightreign, and given that, it may be in the second half of the year. This was a big surprise and no, we are never getting Bloodborne 2.

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Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.