Prior to this weekend, we knew shockingly little about The Duskbloods, the latest game from renowned developer FromSoftware and the followup to 2024’s Game of the Year, Elden Ring. Now, after a closed network test and the lifting of a meaty preview embargo, we know quite a lot about the studio’s highly anticipated project.
The Duskbloods
What is The Duskbloods?
The Duskbloods is an online multiplayer PvPvE (player vs. player vs. environment) game where players vie for supremacy among themselves and against challenging foes. Releasing exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2, it pits up to 8 players against one another in matches where you must occasionally cooperate with one another to explore and complete challenges before facing off in an effort to be the last adventurer standing. You’ll play as a member of the Bloodsworn, a group that has transcended human strength with vampiric powers, and throw yourself into a violent fray for “First Blood” as the twilight of humanity approaches.
Is The Duskbloods multiplayer only?
Yes, The Duskbloods is multiplayer-only. Players compete against one another to explore an open world, find hidden treasure and defeat fearsome foes before facing off in a final showdown to determine a winner.
What’s is a round in The Duskbloods’ like?
Rounds in The Duskbloods take place over four phases where players are gradually eliminated as the match progresses. The goal of each phase is to collect enough Virtue to avoid being eliminated. You can earn Virtue in a number of ways: by fighting and defeating enemies and other players, and by exploring and finding Virtue-infused corpses and other secrets that are common in FromSoftware’s other games. As each round progresses, the players with the most Virtue survive while the others are eliminated. The final three players face off in a winner-takes-all fight in order to crown a victor.
How many playable characters will be in The Duskbloods at launch?
There will be 10 unique playable characters in The Duskbloods at launch. Of the 10 planned characters, six were available in the closed network test:
- Albert: Uses dual swords and an SMG with blood-infused attacks. He is a balanced mix of melee and ranged offense.
- Bloodhand Jan: Wearing nothing but a onesie and a pot on his head, Jan wields an axe in one hand and shoots fire from the other like a flamethrower.
- Senator Samir Patres: Uses a rapier, fires spectral birds, and can turn into a T-Rex-like dinosaur.
- Trang Lanh: Fights with a giant blade that can also be tossed at enemies. She can also temporarily turn invisible and summon a giant white snake.
- Sniper Layla: As her name would suggest, she wields a giant rifle with shorter blades for close range. She can also transform into a swarm of insects to quickly warp short distances and pull a Gatling gun out of her chest.
- Zork: A slower, heavier character that deals heavy damage using his electric cable. He also has a speargun that can pierce targets, fire a barrage of missiles, and launch itself directly into targets.
What are people saying about The Duskbloods after the closed network test?
Reactions to The Duskbloods’ closed network test were mostly positive, with players praising the intricate and unique gameplay loop and gameplay that lives up to FromSoftware’s previous titles.
The Duskbloods is awesome.
I am terrible at it.
— Logan Plant (@loganjplant.bsky.social) August 22, 2026 at 2:08 AM
Despite the positive reaction to the core gameplay, however, network connectivity issues marred the experience for many participating on the network test’s first night:
Currently at the Duskbloods title screen, waiting.
— rdein (@rdein.bsky.social) August 21, 2026 at 5:54 AM
From Software: Distributes 500,000 codes for The Duskbloods Network Test.
500,000 people want to play the game.
From Software:
— Alex Olney 🔜 Gamescom (@alexolney.co.uk) August 21, 2026 at 6:25 AM
FromSoftware ultimately canceled the first closed network test session, originally scheduled from 6:00 AM ET to 10:00 AM ET, due to server issues and issued the following statement:
“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to everyone due to the game server issues during the first ‘The Duskbloods’ network test. We are truly sorry for this disruption while you were eagerly waiting, but we must regrettably conclude today’s network test at this time. We will continue working on server improvements, and we will provide further updates regarding future sessions.”
This was the only network related issue during the test period, however, as the servers held up through the rest of the weekend. Afterward, Producer Yasuhiro Kitao revealed that more people submitted applications for The Duskbloods closed network test than for the studio’s previous multiplayer-only game, Elden Ring Nightreign.
When does The Duskbloods release?
The Duskbloods doesn’t have a firm release date yet, but is set to launch some time in 2026. It is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive.
