Elden Ring: Nightreign will support singleplayer, but it might not reward it

Last week, there was a mix of excitement and disappointment as FromSoftware announced Elden Ring: Nightreign, a new co-op-focused game. For those who missed the reveal, Nightreign offers a unique gameplay experience where players choose from eight preset characters to explore a parallel universe version of Elden Ring’s Limgrave map. The goal is to level up quickly, fight lesser foes, and ultimately face a boss at the end of each 15-minute in-game day.

The map is dynamic, with changing buildings and terrain hazards between visits. Players can also expect surprises like volcanoes and invading field bosses, enhancing the replayability of the game. Nightreign combines elements of speedrunning, cooperative play, and nods to other games in the FromSoftware universe.

While multiplayer has been a focus for FromSoftware in the past, Nightreign is the first game where multiplayer is a menu option rather than a core aspect of gameplay. However, the game can be played solo and offline, with scaled-down enemy health pools and no PvP invasions during solo play. Additionally, Nightreign is not a live service game and offers a complete package without the need for additional DLC or season passes.

Nightreign is designed around three-player teams, with solo play being possible but not explicitly encouraged. Certain features, like the absence of Spirit Ash items and soapstone messages, may make solo play more challenging. However, players can still harvest treasure dropped by other slain players via asynchronous online play.

Looking ahead, there are no concrete plans for more multiplayer-centric games from FromSoftware. Nightreign was a result of director Junya Ishizaki’s interest in online co-op games and using Elden Ring’s battle design as a base for a new experience. It remains to be seen if future projects will continue in a similar multiplayer-focused direction or explore other gameplay concepts.