Elden Ring Nightreign "performed well beyond initial expectations," FromSoftware parent company says, and DLC could take it even further

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Elden Ring Nightreign bodes well for The Duskbloods

Elden Ring: Nightreign boss Everdark Libra
(Image credit: FromSoftware)

Elden Ring Nightreign, a weird and experimental multiplayer-led title that FromSoftware basically built in a cave using exploded fragments of Elden Ring proper, has been a big hit.

Parent company Kadokawa said "FromSoftware's ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN has performed well beyond initial expectations" in its latest earnings report. A separate written report reiterates that Nightreign "exceeded expectations" in the company's gaming segment. However, the company declined to release exact figures for actual and projected sales.

As we learned before release, that Nightreign DLC will add new playable Nightfarers and bosses. Our Elden Ring Nightreign review questioned the longevity of the game but praised its "fresh and fast take on the Soulsborne format."

After a few good updates addressing balance issues, I'd agree that what Nightreign needs most is a shotgun blast of new stuff. It gets a little same-y after a while with relatively few map seeds to go around. I've done all the bosses and mega-bosses, and the relic economy is such a crapshoot that I've basically lost interest in it.

Sales of the DLC will surely be below those of the base game – not just for the lower price, but also accounting for the attach rate – but a good expansion would also surely give Nightreign a second wave of sales and attention. If the game is already handily beating expectations, likely set with its experimental nature and relatively cheap production in mind, I'd wager FromSoftware and Kadokawa may be happier still in a few months' time.

Warm reception for Nightreign also bodes well for fellow FromSoft multiplayer experiment The Duskbloods, though it has unique challenges of its own to overcome not just as a Switch 2 exclusive, but also as a PvPvE game.

We spoke to Nightreign director Junya Ishizaki at length about the oddball project earlier this year. He said he'd been thinking about a game like this since Dark Souls 3, and "the scope of Elden Ring" pushed the idea over the edge.

Elden Ring's Switch 2 port delayed into 2026 by FromSoftware for "performance adjustments," and people are surprisingly OK about it: "I'd rather it releases in a better state."

Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.

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