FromSoft surprised by amount of participants during The Duskbloods’ first

FromSoftware is preparing its debut on Nintendo Switch 2 with its upcoming new IP, The Duskbloods. Talks about the game on social media have been mixed with concerns and curiosity due to the game’s limited marketing. The developer didn’t expect the game’s Network Test to invite as many players as Elden Ring Nightreign‘s early testing. When comparing the initial interest between the two PvP Soulslike games, more people were interested in The Duskbloods.

Yasuhiro Kitao, FromSoftware producer, commented on the surprising number of The Duskbloods participants during Famitsu’s streamed interview (translated by GamesRadar). The amount of interest somehow grew larger than Elden Ring Nightreign’s early beta, which was released to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam.

Despite the high popularity of the Elden Ring IP, it did debut as a single player game with lighter multiplayer mechanics. Having its next installment’s focus on multiplayer wasn’t too appealing for Elden Ring fans who strongly prefer single-player content over the IP’s new direction. This is different compared to The Duskbloods, which is a new, fresh IP that’s debuting with multiplayer-focused content in a new, mature realm. It also feels sorta like a spiritual successor to Bloodborne, which may have piqued interest from Bloodborne fans as well.

Since The Duskbloods is currently tied to the Nintendo Switch 2, FromSoft assumed there’s minimal chance for its official release to sell better than one of the studio’s most popular IPs. It all depends on the game’s upcoming marketing and developer support, especially how it will grow after launch with possible additional content.

Brandon Williams

Brandon has played games ever since the PS2 like Ape Escape, Rampage Total Destruction, and Crash Bandicoot. His love for RPGs would only grow once he played Persona 3, which made him try other immersive games like Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne and Xenoblade Chronicles. He continues to play on modern consoles like PS4 and Nintendo Switch 2.