Even by the standards of FromSoftware and the Dark Souls formula, Shadow of the Erdtree was, at times, absolutely brutal. If you’ve ground your way through the Lands Between, finishing off the Elden Ring DLC in style, you’d be forgiven for wanting some form of reprieve, a nice, long break to play something calmer, kinder. But the Elden Ring Nightreign beta, also known as the network test, is already almost upon us. A roguelike spin on the sadistic fantasy RPG, Nightreign pits you and three comrades against successively hard mobs and bosses in a white-knuckle fight for survival. If you applied to play it before launch, FromSoftware may have already been in touch.
The Elden Ring Nightreign beta start date is almost here, with the roguelike and RPG scheduled to begin testing on February 14, with a second round on the 16. We know it’s co-op. We know it’s going to be hard. And we know that FromSoftware has stripped out the trademark Souls messaging system, something that director Junya Ishizaki explains is only natural given that matches in Elden Ring Nightreign last about 40 minutes each. With the full Elden Ring Nightreign release date hopefully not too far away, if you’ve applied to the network test, it’s time to check your emails.
Today, Thursday January 30, has seen FromSoftware dispatch invites to people who have been accepted into the beta. “The objective of the network test is a preliminary verification test in which the selected testers play a portion of the game prior to the full game launch,” the studio explains to successful applicants. “Various technical verifications of online systems will be examined by conducting large-scale network load tests.
“On Tuesday February 11, you’ll receive a follow up email containing your unique code to download the Network Test client on your chosen platform.”
So, make sure to check your inbox and, if you’ve been lucky enough to get in, circle back to your emails in just under two weeks.
If you’re a big Elden Ring fan, try some of the other best soulslike games, or maybe the best fantasy games on PC.
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