The announcement of as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive excited and also confused many, as it's billed as a multiplayer-focused game. The game's director and Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki outlined more details regarding the gameplay loop of The Duskbloods. While it sounds like an extraction game, Miyazaki is assuring fans who don't enjoy PvP multiplayer titles that they can still enjoy the game.
In Nintendo's Creator's Voice interview about The Duskbloods, Miyazaki gave a fuller idea of what the game is going to play like. The Duskbloods will feature multiplayer that s eight playerfighting against each other in PvPvE combat, with some special situations resulting in intense boss fights. Despite the focus on multiplayer, Miyazaki seems confident the game will appeal to non-PvP players, saying: "I personally am not much of a PvP person, and I wanted to make something that’s satisfying even for players like me."
The Duskbloods Gameplay Loop, Explained
Customizable Characters, Weapons, and Eight-Player Battle Royale
The Duskbloods has a surprise focus on multiplayer, especially for a Nintendo Switch 2-exclusive title. Still, its gameplay loop may be appealing to all kinds of playstyles. Players will choose from over a dozen unique customizable characters with different abilities and weapons in a "hub" area at the start of a match. Eight players will then battle each other and monsters, with the winning condition usually being the last player standing is considered the victor, but there are sometimes other winning conditions, such as defeating powerful bosses.
When a match concludes, players are taken back to the "hub" area and are given a reward, regardless of whether they win or lose. Players can then use those rewards to customize their character further and get back into the action, creating an interesting gameplay loop that might appeal to all Souls fans who might be eager to jump back in, get better, and overcome their obstacle, whether that is a player or a powerful AI-controlled monster. Essentially, The Duskbloods appears to take elements from extraction and battle royale games.
Miyazaki's Approach Is Good News For FromSoftware Fans
A Game You Can Enjoy Even In Single-Player
The approach to trying to satisfy both multiplayer fans and people who do not enjoy PvP games is good news for FromSoftware fans, and while The Duskbloods isn't Bloodborne 2, it does share a lot of its iconic Victorian Gothic atmosphere and style. Couple that with a game that has been designed to appeal to more traditional FromSoftware fans as well as a multiplayer audience, and The Duskbloods has the potential to be a big hit on the Switch 2.
The Duskbloods Director Promises That FromSoftware Isn't Shifting To "Multiplayer-Focused Direction"
With Nightreign and The Duskbloods focusing on online multiplayer, director Hidetaka Miyazaki stated that this is not the new norm for FromSoftware.
The Duskbloods releasing as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive title is a surprising detail, but the multiplayer focus was arguably even more shocking. After hearing Miyzaki's explanation of the gameplay loop, it sounds like The Duskbloods could be a big hit for established FromSoftware fans and may reach an even bigger audience when the game releases sometime in 2026.
Source: Nintendo
The Duskbloods
- Released
- 2026
- Developer(s)
- FromSoftware
- Publisher(s)
- FromSoftware
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Number of Players
- 1-8 players
