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The Duskbloods’ Network Test Drew More Applicants Than Elden Ring Nightreign’s
The Duskbloods attracted more closed test applicants than Elden Ring Nightreign, according to producer Yasuhiro Kitao—but FromSoftware disclosed no totals, so the result shows test interest rather than likely sales or... The August 21–24 test was built around eight player PvPvE matches: players earn Virtue through c...
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Key takeaways
- The Duskbloods attracted more closed test applicants than Elden Ring Nightreign, according to producer Yasuhiro Kitao—but FromSoftware disclosed no totals, so the result shows test interest rather than likely sales or...
- The August 21–24 test was built around eight player PvPvE matches: players earn Virtue through combat, exploration, objectives, and AI encounters before the field is reduced to three for a final PvP showdown.
- The first session was cancelled by server problems, while reports of a ninth player invasion role and a Gamescom release date reveal remained unconfirmed.
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openai.comCreate a landscape editorial hero image for this Studio Global article: What did FromSoftware reveal about The Duskbloods’ Switch 2 closed network test—including how its number of applicants compared with Elden R. Article summary: FromSoftware said The Duskbloods’ closed Switch 2 network test drew more applications than Elden Ring: Nightreign’s test—a surprise given Nightreign’s multi-platform reach and Switch 2’s smaller audience. Producer Yasuhi. Topic tags: general, general web, user generated. Style: premium digital editorial illustration, source-backed research mood, clean composition, high detail, modern web publication hero. Use reference image context only for broad subject, composition, and topical grounding; do not copy the exact image. Avoid: logos, brand marks, copyrighted characters, real person likenesses, fake screenshots, UI text, readable text, watermarks, charts with fa
FromSoftware says The Duskbloods drew more applications for its closed network test than Elden Ring Nightreign, even though the new game is exclusive to the recently launched Nintendo Switch 2 while Nightreign’s test covered multiple platforms. Producer Yasuhiro Kitao described the response as a surprise, but the studio did not publish applicant totals. 6
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That makes the result a useful signal of curiosity around The Duskbloods—not proof that it will outsell Nightreign, attract more launch players, or retain its test audience.
Why the applicant comparison matters
Nightreign had the broader hardware footprint, while The Duskbloods was asking players to join a test on one new console. The stronger application figure therefore suggests that FromSoftware’s unusual multiplayer pitch created substantial interest among Switch 2 owners and fans of the studio’s action games. 6
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One possible explanation is that the two games appeal to somewhat different multiplayer instincts. Players who were uncertain about Nightreign’s cooperative format may have found The Duskbloods’ competitive, objective-driven PvPvE structure more immediately appealing. That is a plausible interpretation, not a demonstrated reason for the application gap.
The comparison also needs to be kept in proportion. Applications measure willingness to try a limited test. They do not show how many people will purchase the finished game, keep playing after launch, or prefer it to Nightreign over time.
What the network test revealed about The Duskbloods
The test ran from August 21 through August 24, 2026, across several limited sessions. The opening session was disrupted by widespread server problems and was ultimately closed; later sessions were scheduled to continue as FromSoftware worked on the service. 1
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The game itself is an online multiplayer action title for up to eight players on Switch 2. 28
34 Its central match type, called a Dusk Battle in previews, mixes player-versus-player combat with player-versus-environment encounters. Players explore the map, fight enemies and bosses, collect items, contest objectives, and sometimes form temporary alliances. These activities produce Virtue, the score that determines who survives each culling stage.
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The field gradually shrinks from eight players to three, with the survivors entering a final free-for-all arena. Some previews describe the structure as three phases, while others count four timed phases; the consistent gameplay point is the same: Virtue matters throughout the match, and the last three players compete directly for the win. 42
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PvP is important, but not the only way to advance
The Duskbloods is not simply an eight-player deathmatch. Early hands-on reports describe several ways to build Virtue, including fighting AI enemies and bosses, gathering resources, exploring, capturing points, and taking on other players. That gives players room to choose between direct aggression, objective play, and more cautious PvE-focused routes. 42
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That flexibility may be one reason the game has attracted attention. It preserves the tension of FromSoftware combat while giving players more strategic options than chasing every opponent on the map.
Familiar FromSoftware combat with more mobility
Preview coverage points to a deliberate blend of recognizable FromSoftware systems and faster, more character-specific movement. The build combines mechanics reminiscent of Elden Ring guard counters and Bloodborne evasive movement with unusually high jumps, selectable Bloodsworn fighters, ranged attacks, and special abilities. 42
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Players can also choose AI companions called Kin before a match. The preview and test build included six playable Bloodsworn and eight Kin options, while the full release is expected to offer more than 10 Bloodsworn. 42
The result appears designed to make every encounter less predictable: players must manage their own character, their Virtue total, the map’s objectives, enemy threats, and the temporary relationships that can form between competitors.
What remains unconfirmed
Some reports have speculated about a ninth-player invasion role. That should not be treated as confirmed. FromSoftware’s official game listing describes online play for up to eight players, and the available evidence does not establish an additional invasion slot. 34
A specific release-date announcement at Gamescom Opening Night Live was also expectation rather than a confirmed studio commitment. The firm public information is that The Duskbloods is planned for a worldwide Nintendo Switch 2 release in 2026; no exact launch date is established here. 28
The takeaway for Switch 2 players
The Duskbloods’ stronger test application figure is an encouraging early sign for a game built around a distinctive multiplayer format. Its appeal appears to come from the combination of FromSoftware-style combat, high mobility, AI encounters, objectives, alliances, and score-based eliminations—not from PvP kills alone.
But the most defensible conclusion is narrower: more people applied to try The Duskbloods than applied to try Elden Ring Nightreign’s test, according to FromSoftware. Until the company shares participation, sales, or retention data, the comparison should be read as evidence of strong curiosity rather than a forecast of which game will have the larger long-term audience.
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The Duskbloods attracted more closed test applicants than Elden Ring Nightreign, according to producer Yasuhiro Kitao—but FromSoftware disclosed no totals, so the result shows test interest rather than likely sales or...
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The Duskbloods attracted more closed test applicants than Elden Ring Nightreign, according to producer Yasuhiro Kitao—but FromSoftware disclosed no totals, so the result shows test interest rather than likely sales or... The August 21–24 test was built around eight player PvPvE matches: players earn Virtue through combat, exploration, objectives, and AI encounters before the field is reduced to three for a final PvP showdown.
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The first session was cancelled by server problems, while reports of a ninth player invasion role and a Gamescom release date reveal remained unconfirmed.