After Concord and Suicide Squad's failures, Elden Ring Nightreign director isn't worried since FromSoft doesn't "base our game design" on industry trends

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FromSoftware "want it to be clear that this is what we wanted to make"

Elden Ring Nightreign screenshot which highlights just how important co-op will be because of towering spider threats
(Image credit: FromSoftware)

Elden Ring Nightreign's director isn't worried about launching the co-op spin-off into a climate that killed countless live service games this year, partly because Nightreign isn't actually a live service game and partly because developer FromSoftware isn't concerned about "what's going on" in that space.

The Elden Ring co-op spin-off was announced just yesterday at The Game Awards 2024, condensing the base game's experience into 40-minute rounds that you can play either alone or with two other friends. You essentially squad up, survive and gather loot over three in-game days, and then battle the big final boss at the very end. 

When asked about the potential risks of launching a new multiplayer game, in an interview with IGN, director Junya Ishizaki said that the studio doesn't "tend to look at the industry and base our game design or our concerns on what's going on." The team's philosophy is apparently to make something they themselves are "passionate about" and "enjoy playing," and then trust that players "will share in that experience and hopefully enjoy it as well."

Ishizaki was also quick to note that Elden Ring Nightreign isn't a live service game, too. "Once you buy Nightreign, you get the complete package, everything is unlockable out of the gate," he said. "So we want it to be clear that this is what we wanted to make. It's not intended as a live service game." We'll see how it all unfolds when Elden Ring Nightreign comes to PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One next year.

For more, check out the other upcoming games for 2025 and beyond. 

Kaan Serin
Freelance contributor

Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.