Elden Ring's multiplayer spin-off Nightreign isn't what FromSoftware would "consider a 'live service' game," but that doesn't mean it won't get post-launch content

a massive one-armed centaur holds a colossal stone sword

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

One of the biggest announcements that dropped during The Game Awards 2024 was regarding none other than Elden Ring, the FromSoftware gem that just keeps on giving even after Shadow of the Erdtree, and it was the reveal that multiplayer spin-off Nightreign is in the works - and no, it won't be a live service game.

FromSoftware developer and Nightreign director Junya Ishizaki confirms as much during an interview with PC Gamer, stating that the spin-off thankfully isn't what players would deem a "live service" game to be - it's an entirely "complete" title as it is. "With Nightreign," explains Ishizaki, "we wanted to have a game that felt like a complete package out of the box on the day of purchase, so everything is unlockable, everything is contained with that purchase."

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The lead continues: "It's not what we'd consider a 'live service' game." That doesn't mean the spin-off won't receive post-launch updates and other new content down the line, however. "Of course, we're concentrating on the release of Nightreign, first and foremost," he says. "But we will make considerations after the game's release." These will include "post-release updates," including "balance updates" and "things like this that we've done with previous games."

Such updates "will definitely be a priority going forward" after launch, according to Ishikazi. "For anything else, we're still in the process of thinking about the possibilities." It's exciting news, to say the least, as it implies that there's so much more to come than what has been seen so far of Nightreign - and what we've seen is pretty big. The spin-off is meant to be akin to "a short RPG" with faster-paced multiplayer matches and grueling obstacles.

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After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.