At the 2024 Game Awards, Bandai Namco Entertainment and FromSoftware surprised gamers everywhere with the announcement of anElden Ringspin-off coming in 2025. DubbedElden Ring Nightreign, this new action RPG combines the Soulslike formula with a fast-paced survival roguelite structure that emphasizes, but doesn’t require, three-player co-op. This dramatic departure from the regularElden Ringcaught many fans by surprise, butElden Ring Nightreignwas never meant to be a typical FromSoftware title. Regardless of how well it executes its ideas, it brings many new things to the table.
In essence,Elden Ring Nightreignis a run-based game that offers a condensed form ofElden Ring’s typical leveling and equipment-scouring experience, with a dollop ofElden Ring’s popular Seamless co-op modon top. Every fifteen minutes or so, one of three days will end, and players will have to fight a boss to continue, with the third and final one of a complete run being one of eight Nightlords. Opposing the Nightlords are eight preset player characters with special characteristics and story content in the Roundtable Hold hub. There will fortunately be more previews and the usual FromSoftware network test to help players digest all this, but there are still lingering questions regardingNightreign’s new antagonists.
What Night Lord Means In The Context Of Elden Ring Nightreign
The question, “Who or what is the Night Lord,” is one that will likely haunt players many runs intoElden Ring Nightreign, but there are some early details that can tide them over. First is that there are eight Nightlords, although seven or all eight of these may be different from the Night Lord itself. Defeating these powerful foes seems necessary to stop the “Night’s Tide” that is envelopingElden Ring Nightreign’s new Limveld region, and the three-headed dog Gladius has been confirmed as one. However, they don’t quite answer the original query.
Given how the Lands Between work inElden Ring, there probably is a central Night Lord, and they are likely exerting their patron outer god’s influence over the realm after taking theElden Lord’s throne. That’s all speculation for now, but given thatElden Ring Nightreignis confirmed to take place in a parallel world that is post-Shattering like regularElden Ring, it’s a reasonable starting place. AlthoughElden Ring Nightreignfeatures crossover enemies fromDark Souls, it’s also fair to assume that the Night Lord will be a new character, and not a returning Dark-aligned figure orElden RingDemigod.
Sorting Through Elden Ring’s Night Lord-Related Lore
Elden Ringoffers a few clues as to what the Night Lord is, but given how little ofElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtreewas predicted apart from Miquella’s involvement, they should be taken with a grain of salt. While the player’s lordly title upon bringing about Ranni’s Age of Stars ending could be considered “Night Lord,” the more suspect moon-related figures in the baseElden Ringare the Nox of Nokron and Nokstella. Seen in the underground Eternal Cities, the Nox are described as waiting for a “Lord of Night” in several Nox armor descriptions, and that’s not their only potential connection toElden Ring Nightreign.
Nox Connections Spotted In Elden Ring Nightreign So Far
Areas related to the Nox tend to culminate in a giant corpse seated on a throne, which may be the true form of the shadowy giantsseen inElden Ring Nightreign’s trailer. Eagle-eyed fans have also observed that the architecture in its wall-clambering scene resembles that of an Eternal City. Lastly, for now, IGN’s hands-on preview mentioned that one ofNightreign’s random events involves swarms of giant ants, which normally live underground and can have Nox riders. It’s too early to declare thatElden Ring Nightreignportrays the Nox leadership overtaking the weakened Lands Between after the Shattering, but the darkness-dominated faction could be the key to understanding the Night Lord’s identity.
