The Duskbloods Closed Network Test: Everything You Need to Know

How to Check Your Selection Status

To see if you were selected, go to the official The Duskbloods network test website. Click the hamburger menu (three lines) in the top-right corner, select "Account," and log in with the same Nintendo Account you used to apply . Your status will be displayed on the page .

If accepted, you will see a red confirmation message reading "You were SELECTED to participate" . If you were not selected, a blue "You were not selected to participate" message will appear . Participants were chosen on a first-come, first-served basis .

Participation Requirements

• Console: You must own a Nintendo Switch 2 — the test is exclusive to that platform . The original Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation, and Xbox are not supported .
• Nintendo Switch Online membership: An active, paid Nintendo Switch Online subscription is required to participate .
• Internet connection: A persistent broadband connection is required, as this is an online technical test .
• Age: You must be at least 17 years of age or older .

Test Schedule & Download Code Timing

Download codes and game data will be distributed on August 18, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. UTC (6:00 a.m. PDT) . Selected players can download the test client from the Nintendo eShop or Nintendo Store site .

The test runs over five four-hour sessions spread across August 21–24, 2026 . It is not playable continuously — you can only play during these designated windows .

Some sources list the final window extending into August 24 . The staggered schedule is standard practice for a server load test that needs concentrated bursts of players .

Stated Purpose of the Network Test

FromSoftware describes the test as a closed pre-launch verification phase with three specific goals :

• Game server load test: Connecting large numbers of players simultaneously to stress-test server infrastructure .
• Multiplayer functionality test: Verifying online systems for up to eight-player matches across different network environments .
• Game balance test: Gathering data on match balance to make adjustments before launch .

The test is not a demo — progress will not carry over to the full game, and its purpose is purely technical . Players should expect bugs to occur during gameplay .

Broader Game Context

The Duskbloods is a significant departure for FromSoftware. The studio is best known for single-player-focused action RPGs (Dark Souls, Elden Ring, Bloodborne, Sekiro). This title is instead an eight-player PvPvE online multiplayer experience where players take on the role of "Bloodsworn" — vampire-like supernatural beings with special blood-based abilities . Players form transient alliances and rivalries in matches set at the "Dusk of Humanity" .

The game is set in a Victorian Gothic dark fantasy world with ornate architecture, blood rituals, and grotesque creatures that strongly evoke Bloodborne's aesthetic . It is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, published by Nintendo, with Hidetaka Miyazaki directing .

Miyazaki has assured fans that despite this multiplayer experiment, FromSoftware will continue making single-player games . The Duskbloods is the studio's first exclusive to a Nintendo home console since Lost Kingdoms II in 2003 .