FromSoftware has taken to The game Awards to announce a new entry in the Elden Ring series. Titled Elden Ring: Nightreign, this is a new dawn for the Souls-like genre, as it's not like anything you've seen before. A blend of Dark Souls gameplay with Monster Hunter, Nightreign will see you taking on a new threat to the Lands Between alongside friends and allies as you work together to take down new monsters — as well as an old foe, spotted by eagle-eyed fans.
News in brief
- A new Elden Ring game has been revealed
- Nightreign is a whole new game, not a DLC
- It brings a much larger focus on multiplayer than previous games
Multiplayer is technically nothing new to Dark Souls-like games. Ever since the very first game in the series, Demon's Souls, you've been able to summon other players to assist you in taking out bosses you may have been struggling with. However, this was always a temporary thing, with summoned players disappearing once the boss in question was dealt with. Not so in Elden Ring: Nightreign. The trailer shows players working together in true multiplayer, fighting through the Lands Between together and teaming up to fight common mooks, as well as massive bosses. The implication is that some bosses will now be much better fought as a team, and though some fans will doubtless take them down by themselves (knowing that community, it's a guarantee someone will), the aim is for the game to be a multiplayer experience.
FromSoft have also confirmed that the game will not be a live service game, and the aim was to produce a complete game from day one, so there's hopefully no chance of a Suicide Squad happening here. It will also be getting a network test some time in 2025, so you'll get a chance to play it before release.
As a final note, eagle-eyed viewers also spotted something very interesting in the game's trailer: The apparent return of the Nameless King. The Dark Souls III megaboss is as iconic as it's possible to be in this series, so quite why FromSoft have chosen to include him is anyone's guess. Does this hint at a stronger connection between the Souls games? It could just be a case of mistaken identity, but the resemblance is very strong. We'll have to wait to find out.
