The Duskbloods Closed Network Test Announced for Summer 2026: Everything Revealed in the Nintendo Direct

Over a year after its surprise reveal, FromSoftware finally pulled back the curtain on The Duskbloods during the June 9, 2026 Nintendo Direct. The showcase delivered a new gothic teaser trailer and — more importantly — confirmation that players will get their hands on the game much sooner than expected via a closed network test this summer.

The broadcast marked the first substantial update on the project since its initial announcement in April 2025 . While the studio stopped short of revealing a firm launch date, the beta announcement and fresh footage made one thing clear: Hidetaka Miyazaki's most experimental project in years is nearing the finish line .

Closed network test set for Summer 2026

The headline news from the Direct is the confirmation of a Closed Network Test scheduled for Summer 2026 . The test will give selected players an early opportunity to experience the game's unusual multiplayer structure before the full release. Sign-ups have not opened yet, but they are expected to begin soon .

For fans who have been waiting in near-total silence since the 2025 reveal, the beta confirmation is a significant milestone. It signals that development is on schedule for the previously announced 2026 launch window .

An eight-player PvPvE action game

The Duskbloods is a match-based, eight-player PvPvE action game — a format that blends player-versus-player combat with AI enemies roaming the environment . Players take on the role of a "Bloodsworn," fighters who have transcended normal human limits through an ancient blood power. FromSoftware's description adds a characteristically cryptic flourish: "the moontears will flow for one and one alone" .

This PvPvE structure isn't entirely new territory for the studio — Elden Ring: Nightreign explores similar ideas — but The Duskbloods appears to commit to it fully as the core experience rather than an optional mode. Miyazaki has previously explained that the format allows FromSoftware to leverage its expertise in designing punishing enemy encounters while experimenting with multiplayer dynamics the team hasn't explored before .

Hidetaka Miyazaki is directing

Despite the departure from the studio's single-player roots, The Duskbloods remains a Hidetaka Miyazaki project. The Elden Ring and Dark Souls creator is confirmed as game director . In a Creator's Voice interview published after the original reveal, Miyazaki described the initial pitch to Nintendo as "more a loose string of ideas than a proper presentation" — but the concept was different enough from anything FromSoftware had done that Nintendo expressed immediate interest .

Miyazaki has also reassured fans that The Duskbloods does not signal a permanent pivot toward multiplayer. FromSoftware will continue developing single-player-focused games alongside this project .

A gothic Victorian setting that echoes Bloodborne

The new trailer doubles down on a gothic Victorian aesthetic that has drawn immediate comparisons to Bloodborne — the studio's beloved 2015 PlayStation exclusive . The footage showcased dark cathedral-like interiors, stained glass windows, a massive blood moon, and a narrator with the gravelly, cryptic cadence that has become a FromSoftware signature .

The "ancient Blood" theme is central to the game's identity, blending vampire imagery with the studio's characteristic brooding atmosphere . While some outlets have described it as a Bloodborne spiritual successor in all but name, The Duskbloods is its own original IP, unconnected to Sony's property .

Nintendo Switch 2 exclusivity

The Duskbloods is locked to Nintendo Switch 2, with no plans for ports to other platforms . This makes it FromSoftware's first Nintendo home-console exclusive since Lost Kingdoms II in 2003 — a 23-year gap .

Parent company Kadokawa has reportedly reaffirmed the exclusivity arrangement, shutting down speculation about potential PC or competing console versions . Originally, the project was pitched as a smaller title for the original Switch, but Miyazaki has said that the Switch 2's improved online capabilities allowed the team to realize the vision more fully, and Nintendo shifted development to the new hardware .

Release window

The Duskbloods is scheduled to launch sometime in 2026, exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2 . With the closed network test confirmed for the summer, a release in the latter half of the year now looks likely — though neither FromSoftware nor Nintendo has committed to a more specific date. For a project that spent over a year in near-total radio silence, the June Direct represented a clear signal that things are speeding up.