One of the biggest surprises from the recent Nintendo Switch 2 Direct was the reveal of FromSoftware’s The Duskbloods which is set to be an exclusive game for the Switch 2.
The Duskbloods is a multiplayer gaming experience, which is rather new for FromSoft. With another multiplayer focused title, Elden Ring Nightreign, still to be released, Hidetaka Miyazaki eased fans saying they shouldn’t expect this to be the standard for the studio moving forward.
“I’ve Always Found the PvPvE Structure Very Interesting”
Speaking as part of the Nintendo Creator’s Voice series (via VGC), Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki talks a bit about The Duskbloods and the format that they were focusing on when they were developing the game for the Switch 2. He says:
“I’ve always found the PvPvE structure very interesting. It allows for a broad range of game-design ideas, while also letting us leverage our experience of designing challenging enemy encounters.”
Though this is considered to be a departure from the usual single player format for FromSoftware games, Miyazaki does confirm that the studio will still pretty much focus on their classic format. He continues, “As a side note, please allow me to address one thing. As previously mentioned, this is an online multiplayer title at its core, but this doesn’t mean that we as a company have decided to shift to a more multiplayer-focused direction with titles going forward.”
“The Moontears will Flow for One, and One Alone”
It’s not clear what the story for The Duskbloods is yet, but just based on the name and the trailer, it looks like this game is going to be focused on a bunch of gothic vampires.
With FromSoftware’s reputation though, the story kind of comes secondary to the characters and gameplay, and it looks like The Duskbloods has everything anyone would expect from FromSoft from the Edritchian horror creatures to the gothic BDSM costumes.
If anything, it has been confirmed that players will be able to take control of several customizable characters, and it looks like each of them come with different skill sets from absorbing enemies, to telekinesis. One guy in a steampunk mech suit does look like he jumped right out of BioShock..
The Nintendo Switch 2 is set to launch this June 5, but unfortunately, The Duskbloods is still aiming for a release in 2026.