FromSoftware actually did it: Elden Ring Nightreign powers up its annoying bug duo boss by – I almost can't believe this – adding a third bug to the fight

Elden Ring Nightreign Wylder warrior — (Image credit: FromSoftware / Bandai Namco)

Elden Ring Nightreign's latest powered-up Everdark Sovereign boss has arrived, and it pains me to say that the infamous bug duo is now a bug trio, which I guess makes sense given this is a co-op game for three people, but two aggressive insects was already enough, thank you very much.

I'm sure I wasn't the only one dreading the Everdark Sovereign version of the Sentient Pest expedition's Gnoster, Wisdom of Night boss. The base version is, frankly, very tedious to fight. It's not so hard that it's painful, but it's a frustrating one to deal with, with a big moth constantly floating around and out of the way of melee attackers, and a massive scorpion-esque creepy crawly ready to slam into anyone distracted as they aim into the sky. How do you go about making this harder, then? Simple – add another bug, obviously.

Earlier this week, our very own Austin Wood joked that this could be the case, but I'll admit I wasn't seriously expecting it to happen. Now, the boss fight begins with the two bugs we already know (and loathe) in their second phase, but once you melt through their combined health bar, a shiny new red moth called Animus, Ascendant Light emerges and revives its two buddies, allowing them all to wreak havoc.

So, just focus on taking down all the bugs one at a time, you'd be forgiven for thinking. However, it turns out that killing either of the original duo will see Animus possess and revive them, powering them up in the process, so it's not as straightforward as it might sound. It's a real Ornstein and Smough situation. At the very least, attacking a possessed bug also depletes Animus' health bar, which is ultimately the key to winning the fight.

The big, extra bug surprise is unsurprisingly catching some players off guard – one tragic post from Reddit says that "our Raider thought he beat the Everdark Sentient Pest when he dropped all his gear when it's only the first phase," before scrambling to pick it all up again as the next phase began. "We failed though," they add.

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I'm GamesRadar+'s Deputy News Editor, working alongside the rest of the news team to deliver cool gaming stories that we love. After spending more hours than I can count filling The University of Sheffield's student newspaper with Pokemon and indie game content, and picking up a degree in Journalism Studies, I started my career at GAMINGbible where I worked as a journalist for over a year and a half. I then became TechRadar Gaming's news writer, where I sourced stories and wrote about all sorts of intriguing topics. In my spare time, you're sure to find me on my Nintendo Switch or PS5 playing through story-driven RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking old Pokemon games, or going for a Victory Royale in Fortnite.

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