Summary
Elden Ring: Nightreignwas a fantastic reveal for Soulslike fans at this year’s The Game Awards, and the spin-off’s director Junya Ishizaki recently revealed Spirit Ashes will exist in the next title within a different gameplay mechanic. StandaloneElden Ringprojects were previously teased by Hidetaka Miyazaki when the director confirmed FromSoftware was not working on a direct sequel, and many fans were betting on a multiplayer title being one of them.
The Soulslike community was treated toElden Ringwhen the base game was first released in 2022, followed by theShadow of the Erdtreeexpansion in 2024, which added new locations and bosses to contest.Elden Ring: Nightreignwas announced at The Game Awards 2024, revealed to be a new co-op multiplayer game boasting a standalone story parallel to the base game’s narrative. Luckily, fans won’t have long to wait before jumping into this new dark fantasy experience, asNightreignwas confirmed to be released in 2025.
In an interview with IGN, Ishizaki poured over basic details relating toNightreign’s gameplay, and the director confirmed the return of the Spirit Ashes companions, but the multiplayer will offer a different take on them.Shadow of the Erdtreelets the Tarnished use Torrent as a battle companion, proving to be a popular addition to the expansion, andNightreignwill include a similar ally using Spirit Ashes but operate differently to how they appeared in the base game. Ishizaki revealed that one of the eight playable characters in the spin-off would use a Spirit Ash, comparing the gameplay mechanic to a “spiritual buddy.”
Elden Ring: Nightreign Director Confirms Spirit Ashes Return
The optionalElden Ringboss Commander Niall demonstrated the importance of Spirit Ashesin combat, and they became a go-to mechanic for players enduring the game’s punishing boss battles. SinceNightreignwill feature other players to assist in defeating the eight boss types confirmed to be in the multiplayer, it was previously thought Spirit Ashes would have less importance in the spin-off, but it’s exciting to hear the popular asset will return as a character’s mechanic.
Elden Ring’s Spirit Ashesare companions to be used in battle, and they can be summoned by using the Spirit Calling Bell. The spirits mimic enemies found in the Lands Between and are useful allies against the game’s hardest foes.Shadow of the Erdtreeadded 20 new Spirit Ashes, joining the 64 existing ones from the base game, and the additional item Revered Spirit Ash could be used to make the summons more powerful.
Elden Ring
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ELDEN RING, developed by FromSoftware, Inc. and BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc., is a fantasy action-RPG adventure set within a world created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and George R.R. Martin. Danger and discovery lurk around every corner in FromSoftware’s largest game to date. Hidetaka Miyazaki - President and Game Director of FromSoftware Inc. Known for directing critically-acclaimed games in beloved franchises including Armored Core and Dark Souls.George R.R. Martin is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many novels, including the acclaimed series A Song of Ice and Fire - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast For Crows, and A Dance with Dragons. As a writer-producer, he has worked on The Twilight Zone, Beauty and the Beast, and various feature films and pilots that were never made. He lives with the lovely Parris in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
