FromSoftware's Switch 2 exclusive The Duskbloods gets a gothic new teaser
FromSoftware's Switch 2 exclusive The Duskbloods resurfaced at Nintendo Direct on June 9 with a new atmospheric teaser — the first new footage since the game's 2025 announcement. The clip confirms two things: the game's gothic Victorian aesthetic is very close to Bloodborne, and a closed network test is coming this summer, with sign-ups expected to open soon.
A Bloodborne in multiplayer clothing
The Duskbloods is directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, the creator behind Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring. Unlike every other FromSoftware title, it is built around online multiplayer from the ground up — up to 8 players per match in a PvPvE format, meaning you fight both AI enemies and other players at the same time. Before each session starts, every player receives a hidden personal objective. Those objectives may align with other players' goals or directly conflict with them, creating shifting alliances mid-match. Victory conditions are also randomized.
Miyazaki has openly admitted he is "not much of a PvP person," which is a notable admission given that PvP is central to the design. Whether that translates into a more considered, cautious multiplayer system — or an uncertain one — won't be clear until the network test.
The platform bet
This is FromSoftware's first Nintendo home console exclusive in 23 years, since Lost Kingdoms II in 2003. Every other major FromSoftware release — Elden Ring, Armored Core 6 — has landed on PlayStation and PC. The Duskbloods is Switch 2 only, with VGC reporting that parent company Kadokawa has reaffirmed no ports to other platforms are planned.
That exclusivity matters more now than it did at announcement. Nintendo is raising the Switch 2's US price to $499.99 on September 1, 2026 — a $50 increase — and The Duskbloods is one of the marquee exclusives needed to justify that hardware cost to skeptical buyers. As Nintendo confirms, the 2026 release window remains firm, though no specific launch date has been set.
What to watch for
The summer 2026 closed network test is the next concrete milestone. It will be the first real look at whether FromSoftware's multiplayer pivot works in practice. Soulslike fans used to solo campaigns should go in with adjusted expectations — this is a session-based, multiplayer-first game. Details on the test sign-up process and any regional pricing have not yet been announced.
