Summary
- Elden Ring Nightreign director Junya Ishizaki has confirmed that it won’t include FromSoftware’s iconic messaging system.
- Phantoms of other players will still appear in the world, but the message system won’t be brought over as Ishizaki says there will be “no time” to write or read them in matches.
Elden Ring Nightreign may share a lot of features and enemies with the first game – and Dark Souls as a whole – but the more we learn about it, the more it sounds like the game will be a complete departure from what FromSoftware fans are used to. Not only is the game essentially a roguelike, having players ransack randomized locations for good gear, but it also has a closing circle like a battle royale, and different characters to choose from, rather than allowing you to make your own.
A lot of systems from Elden Ring are still present though, yet one that won’t be making the jump is the iconic messaging system that FromSoftware has included in all of its titles ever since Demons’ Souls, with Sekiro being the one exception. You can’t move a few feet in Elden Ring without bumping into a message saying “try finger but hole” or “liar ahead”, and the system has become a fun and helpful way for players to interact.
Elden Ring Nightreign Won’t Let You Leave Messages For Other Players
It won’t be in Elden Ring Nightreign though, as confirmed by the game’s director, Junya Ishizaki. In an interview with IGN Japan, Ishizaki was asked about the asynchronous multiplayer aspects of the first Elden Ring game, and which ones will feature again in Nightreign. He states categorically that the phantom system – that allows you to see ghosts of other players – will still be present, but the message function is gone.
Ishizaki then goes into exactly why FromSoftware has decided to scrap the message system in Nightreign, and it does make a bit of sense when you remember that the game is a fast-paced multiplayer game at its core:
The reason we removed the message function is that in this game, where each session is about 40 minutes long, there is no time to write your own message, and no time to read messages written by others.
It’s a bit of news that has generally gone down quite well with fans, understanding that a message system in a game like Nightreign wouldn’t really make much sense, and that it was rarely helpful in Elden Ring anyway. However, there are some, such as Reddit user Theinternetisnice, who kind of wishes there was a static hub area that still has that community feel to it where messages could be placed. At least we won’t have to see the same “fort night” or “dog ahead” messages fifty times over.
ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN is a standalone adventure within the ELDEN RING universe, crafted to offer players a new gaming experience by reimagining the game’s core design.
Join forces with other players to take on the creeping night and the dangers within featuring 3-player co-op.
Take command of uniquely skilled heroes, each possessing their own abilities and distinct flair.
While individually formidable, their skills create powerful synergies when they unite as a team.
Overcome a relentless environmental threat that sweeps through a land that changes between each game session and defeat the magnificent boss of that night!