Summary
FromSoftware has confirmed thatElden Ring Nightreignis “not intended as a live-service game,” shutting down any possible rumors. The forthcoming spin-off to 2022’sElden Ringwas recently unveiled for PC and consoles at The Game Awards 2024, with a release window of 2025.
Ever since breaking onto the scene, the George R. R. Martin-crafted world ofElden Ringhas captivated players and enjoyed terrific success. From rapidly selling millions of copies to sweeping multiple award shows, the Hidetaka Miyazaki-directed game and itsShadow of the ErdtreeDLC have stood out from the competition in many aspects.Elden Ring Nightreign, another game set in the same universe, now appears poised to take the legend of the Lands Between to new heights. Offering an online multiplayer spin, it looks to break away from the single-player focus of the previous two releases, promising a refreshing experience forElden Ringfans. At the same time, despite foraying into this genre, it aims to do things differentlycompared toConcordand other live-service flops.
In an interview withIGN,Elden Ring Nightreigndirector, Junya Ishizaki, clarified that theforthcoming FromSoftware gamedoes not follow a live-service model. Revealing the game’s nature, he said buyers of the co-op game will receive “the complete package,” with everything being “unlockable out of the gate.” Notably, Ishizaki explained the Japanese studio’s decision to make a multiplayer game, in spite of recent cautionary tales in this genre. He stated, “We don’t tend to look at the industry and base our game design or our concerns on what’s going on in that sort of more general sense.” Further, he added that theElden Ringdevs believe that, as long as the team was making something it was passionate about and something it enjoyed playing, fans would be likely to “share in that experience and hopefully enjoy it as well.”
Elden Ring Nightreign to Avoid the Controversial Live-Service Approach
Stepping away from the live-service trend in gaming,Elden Ring Nightreignseems to be doing stuff the old-fashioned way. Essentially, this would mean that the spin-off game won’t have certain live-service features, such as microtransactions and battle passes, that are prevalent inmultiplayer games likeHelldivers 2and several others. Moreover, Ishizaki’s comments suggest thatNightreignwill offer the same experience to each player, with no additional paid content being part of the plans.
Being the firstElden Ringproject not helmed by Miyazaki,Nightreignwill not only take the highly acclaimed fantasy IP into a new genre but also execute a new director’s vision. In any case, FromSoftware–which currently faces a possible acquisition by Sony–would hope that the forthcomingElden Ringgame can benefit from its predecessors' popularityand achieve similar levels of success.
Elden Ring Nightreign
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“ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN is a standalone adventure within the ELDEN RING universe, crafted to offer players a new gaming experience by reimagining the game’s core design.Join forces with other players to take on the creeping night and the dangers within featuring 3-player co-op.Take command of uniquely skilled heroes, each possessing their own abilities and distinct flair.While individually formidable, their skills create powerful synergies when they unite as a team.Overcome a relentless environmental threat that sweeps through a land that changes between each game session and defeat the magnificent boss of that night!”
