The Duskbloods was far and away the most surprising thing revealed during the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct this week. First, there was the fact that FromSoftware was making a new game that certainly had the vibe of a Bloodborne spiritual successor. Second, it was revealed to be a Switch 2 exclusive. And a multiplayer one at that. How? Why?
Elden Ring director Hidetaka Miyazaki shared those details and more in a new developer interview with Nintendo. Here are 12 things we learned from the Switch 2 maker’s sit-down with the storied creative who’s also leading development on The Duskbloods.
The Duskbloods wasn’t always planned for Switch 2
FromSoftware met with Nintendo a while back to collaborate on a new game, but it was originally something smaller meant for the old Switch hardware. “However just as the game started to take shape, we were approached by Nintendo with talk of Switch 2, which led us to revamp our development path with this new hardware in mind,” Miyazaki said.
FromSoftare isn’t abandoning big single-player focused RPGs
The Duskbloods and Elden Ring Nightreign are both multiplayer-centric games, but that doesn’t meant the studio will only be working in that genre for the foreseeable future. “As previously mentioned, this is an online multiplayer title at its core, but this doesn’t mean that we as a company have decided to shift to a more multiplayer-focused direction with titles going forward,” Miyazaki said. He continued, “We still intend to actively develop single-player focused games such as this that embrace our more traditional style.”
The Duskbloods doesn’t take place in a single time period
The game follows vampiric warriors called Bloodsworn who are competing for something called “First Blood,” which happens “as human society reaches an end” during an event called “Twilight of Humanity.” As a result, “there is no fixed era or location in which The Duskbloods takes place,” Miyazaki confirmed.
Double jump confirmed
Asked about abilities, the director said Bloodsworn have special powers thanks to their magical blood, including sprinting, super jumps, and double jumps. They’ll also have an array of weapons, including guns, with every character able to attack from a distance in some way.
The Duskbloods features heroes instead of classes
Instead of making a character from scratch in the upcoming Switch 2 exclusive, players will choose from over a “dozen characters” each with unique designs and arsenals. Don’t worry though, Miyazaki still promises there will be a level of customization for players to make each bespoke Bloodsworn feel like their own.
Gameplay takes place across discrete matches with up to eight players
Here’s the part that might make longtime FromSoftware fans groan. The gameplay loop of The Duskbloods sounds very much like a match-based multiplayer game rather than something more directed and exploration driven. Players start in a hub area, then enter a match, and then the last player left standing wins. A micro-battle royale? Not quite. “Players may be tasked with teaming up to take down a powerful boss enemy, or find themselves in other special circumstances,” Miyazaki explains.
Whoever has the highest score wins
While matches end once only one player is left standing (or one of those special bosses is defeated), the winner is actually decided based on something called “Victory Points.” There will apparently be multiple ways to earn points, including by taking down AI-controlled enemies (the PvE element), and Miyazaki stresses that PvP isn’t the only way to play.
Yes, The Duskbloods has summons
Summoning allies to help you in a tough spot has become a staple of FromSoftware games. They’re coming back for the Switch 2 title. “Each character can summon an entity to assist in combat, giving players a high degree of freedom when it comes to how they fight—and win,” the director confirmed.
An event system will randomly spawn big bosses
Changing things up every now and again will be events that happen randomly during the middle of matches. Miyazaki explains, “In the trailer, you may have noticed a giant stone face looming in the sky. This is one example of the events that can occur in a match. In this case, the appearance of this stone face affects the environment and changes match rewards, which can have an immediate impact on player motivations and objectives.”
The Duskbloods will have a story but it’s told mostly through gear customization
FromSoftware games are known for their deep, esoteric, and evocative worldbuilding. That hasn’t been abandoned for The Duskbloods, Miyazaki claims. But much of the worldbuilding will occur when players when they customize their “blood history and fate” with items obtained between matches. Whether that’s a lore entry on a menu or something more remains to be seen.
A mechanic called “Roles” will play a big, er, role in the game
Basically, every time players spawn into a new match they won’t just have the same goals like they might in a conventional battle royale. Instead, players will have unique “roles” that give them meta-goals they need to achieve. Someone with the “Destined Rivals” role will need to be killed by the player, while someone with “Destined Companion” is meant for them to team up with. “Roles can be assigned to any character via blood customization,” Miyazaki says. It certainly sounds like one way of introducing more emergent storytelling and variety to each match.
FromSoftware’s idea of a Nintendo-esque “cute” character was a winged rat
Black rodent-like creatures in the main hub area will act like the fire keepers from the Dark Souls series, giving advice and guidance. Their design apparently came about by a desire to make something more whimsical for a Nintendo console. “We tried something cute for a change,” Miyazaki said. “Although I will say this character is actually an elderly gentleman (laughter).”
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