Summary
- Elden Ring Nightreign features a Fortnite-style circle called the Ring of Fire.
- It makes exploring the open world far more rapid-pace, and to keep up, the map works a little differently.
- Every point of interest is marked by default, so that you can plan out a strategy from the second you land.
Elden Ring sidesteps a lot of open world norms. Your path isn’t marked by objectives, but a vague streak of Grace; characters don’t pinpoint exactly where you need to go, they give enigmatic, obtuse clues; and there are no towers to climb that unravel your map and clutter it with icons. You explore the Lands Between by looking in the distance at something that piques your interest and then march towards it. Simple.
Or sometimes you get sucked into a chest that hurls you headfirst into Caelid.
Nightreign, however, goes back to basics. Since it’s a roguelite with battle royale elements, namely the encroaching circle, it’s a lot faster paced than your usual Soulslike. There’s not nearly as much time to explore and chart the map, so every single point of interest is marked by default.
The idea is that once you’ve dropped into Limvelt, you immediately open the map and lay out a plan of action with your teammates. You can venture to the outskirts and risk getting caught in the Ring of Fire to upgrade your healing flask, or venture inwards and battle bosses for loot and Runes. Having all the map markers enabled is vital for allowing that strategy, otherwise you’d inevitably get caught up in the circle.
Map Marker Pins Have Been Adjusted For Seamless Co-Op
As Nightreign has seamless co-op, a first for the Soulsborne series, map markers work a little differently than they do in Elden Ring. You can still mark points of interest, but if a teammate marks the same spot, it’ll turn ‘white’ to indicate that you’ve both agreed. This will be especially handy when playing with strangers, helping you strategise even if you’re not talking with one another.
The map also shows the paths that Spectral Hawks fly, which can be triggered by blue trees on cliff edges.
It’s also worth noting that, unlike Elden Ring, you can’t fast travel between the Sites of Grace. Since the map is much smaller, and with the circle only shrinking it further, running around and visiting as many points of interest as possible is key. You don’t even need to interact with a Site of Grace to trigger it, simply getting close will give you all the perks, like restoring health and FP.
The closed beta begins tomorrow on February 14 and runs until February 17.
Action RPG
Soulslike
Roguelite
- Released
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May 30, 2025
- Developer(s)
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From Software