With FromSoftware experimenting with multiplayer in its two upcoming titles – Elden Ring: Nightreign and The Duskbloods – former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida believes that both of the games present a unique challenge for the studio.
Speaking to Easy Allies in a recent podcast, Yoshida said that, since director Hidetaka Miyazaki isn’t typically a fan of PvP gameplay, The Duskbloods especially offers a challenge for the studio. He also believes that, owing to Miyazaki’s own thoughts on PvP, The Duskbloods might end up designed as a more inviting game for players that usually avoid PvP titles.
“I think it’s a new challenge for [FromSoftware], to design game for multiplayer,” said Yoshida. “Miyazaki-san [isn’t] necessarily a big fan of PvP games, so [FromSoftware] will try to make it more accommodating for the people who are kind of intimidated to play the PvP game.”
Yoshida also brings up that he himself doesn’t tend to do too well when playing PvP games like shooters. In turn, a game like The Duskbloods is quite exciting for him because it might be designed in a way as to make its PvPvE gameplay more accessible to players that otherwise struggle with competing against other players.
“I’m not a good FPS player, either, so I don’t play these competitive games,” said Yoshida. “[The Duskbloods], coming from FromSoftware with the design sensibility to accommodate people like me – I’m very excited.”
The Duskbloods was unveiled during Nintendo’s Switch 2 Direct earlier this month. It will be session-based PvPvE multiplayer title where players pick various characters depending on their abilities and set out into the world to take on AI-controlled enemies as well as potentially other players. Each match will involve up to 8 players.
As for its playable characters, quite a few of them were shown off in the announcement trailer, each with their own special abilities, as well as specialised weapons. Some characters also get advanced movement options, with one being shown using a jetpack in the trailer. At launch, the game will feature more than 12 playable characters.
Miyazaki has previously spoken about how each character will also help players define a role for themselves throughout a match.
“In online play, roles give players special responsibilities and objectives that often lead to unique interactions and relationships between players based on their corresponding roles,” explained Miyazaki. “It may reflect my own interests a bit. It might seem a little unorthodox at first, but I hope players will give it a try.”
A trademark filing discovered earlier this month also revealed that FromSoftware owns the IP for The Duskbloods. This means that, unlike with games like Bloodborne, the studio will have full control over the future of the game. This also helps FromSoftware avoid issues that the Bayonetta franchise is facing, with its sequels being exclusive to Nintendo platforms rather than getting a wider audience with a multiplatform release. We could also potentially see The Duskbloods eventually come to more platforms.
The Duskbloods is in development exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2, and is slated for launch in 2026.
