It’s not unusual for audiences to get excited about upcoming FromSoftware games, but Elden Ring Nightreign appears to be garnering a particularly great deal of attention thanks to its radical spin on the tried-and-true soulslike formula. FromSoftware is definitely trying out something new here, leveraging its tendency for co-op features to create a feature-length, standalone game that could be unlike anything it has put out before.
Of course, multiplayer games, especially ambitious, cooperative, AAA ones, aren’t a rarity in the modern games market. Wildly popular games like Destiny 2, Warframe, and Fortnite all demonstrate how successful a multiplayer-only, always online title can be, and the fact that many such titles are free-to-play only makes them more accessible, reaching the widest audience. One could be forgiven for wondering if Elden Ring Nightreign may suffer due to its premium price tag of around $40 while its competition is free, but that will likely not be the case.
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For Better or Worse, Elden Ring Nightreign’s Network Test May Determine Its Fate
Elden Ring Nightreign’s network test could make or break it, as its co-op gameplay focus will need to be both interesting and stable during the test.
Elden Ring Nightreign Should Mark the Return of Fully-Priced, Microtransaction-Free Multiplayer Games
Multiplayer Gaming Was a Different Beast Before Live-Service Trends, and Nightreign Could Awaken This Beast
With the ubiquity of games-as-a-service and other inescapable modern trends like microtransactions, it can be hard to imagine the games industry in any other way. This may be particularly pronounced for younger gamers, who have grown up with the likes of Fortnite and Warzone defining their online multiplayer experiences. But things weren’t always this way.
In fact, multiplayer modes in single-player games were once viewed as a selling point rather than an avenue for constant profit. Purchasing Halo 3 for $60 back in 2007 meant getting the entirety of the multiplayer mode, including everything that could be unlocked, right out the gate. Granted, there were things like map packs which could be purchased separately, but these were more like small-scale DLC than what audiences know as microtransactions today. The multiplayer components of IP like Uncharted, Assassin’s Creed, and BioShock can be described in similar terms. Even the first Red Dead Redemption‘s online mode was free of in-game currency, battle passes, and the like, only offering a finite selection of substantial DLC.
When a game was designed specifically around multiplayer, like in the case of Left 4 Dead or Castle Crashers, online play was once again treated primarily as a feature that would attract audiences; it wasn’t used as a way to encourage in-game spending. These games were sold for a single price upfront, and while they may have had occasional DLC available for download, the implementation of such content was far removed from what audiences see in games today.
Elden Ring Nightreign Is a Full Game
In an era defined by rampant monetization, Nightreign is standing out by not being live-service, and completely lacking microtransactions, as confirmed by director Junya Ishizaki in an interview with IGN. Rather, the gear, upgrades, areas, and everything else that can be unlocked will be earned strictly through the game itself. There won’t be XP boosters or purchasable skins posing as convenient options for players. None of this is to say that there won’t be DLC down the road, but Nightreign won’t be nickel-and-diming anyone.
The trade-off is that players will have to pay to access the game in the first place, but this really isn’t a big downside in the context of modern gaming. Sure, free-to-play is great, but if a game requires hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars just to get all the content, then “free” isn’t exactly the right descriptor. It’s free to get in the door to these games, not free to access them in their entirety. Elden Ring Nightreign is channeling sixth-and seventh-generation multiplayer gaming by charging full price for a full product, and other studios should take note.
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!
- Released
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2025-00-00
- Multiplayer
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Online Co-Op
- Steam Deck Compatibility
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Unknown
- Number of Players
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1-3