5 Tips For This Weekend’s Elden Ring Nightreign Network Test

Your first chance to go hands-on with Elden Ring Nightreign is here. I’d say ‘finally here’, but we’ve only known about this game since last December, so it hasn’t been much of a wait. Like every FromSoftware game, Nightreign is full of secrets, arcane systems, and combat mechanics so obscure you could play for a hundred hours without ever realizing you can use them.

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I got to spend a few hours with Nightreign recently during a press preview, and over the course of six or seven runs I picked up on some tips and tricks that will help you make the most of your limited time in Limveld. Here’s five things you should know before playing this weekend’s Elden Ring Nightreign Network Test.

Don’t Miss Your Window

Like past FromSoftware beta tests, this network test is only open for a few hours each day, at the same time in every region. The first session started Friday morning at 3 AM Pacific, so if you’re reading this on Friday either ‘sorry you missed it’ or ‘what were you thinking? You have work today!’

Luckily, there are four more sessions throughout the weekend, here are all the times you can play Elden Ring Nightrein:

Start With Wylder, But Try All Of The Characters

Nightreign will have eight different characters to play when it launches later this year. During the preview only four were available, and you’ll have access to the same four during the network test. Each character has their own skills, ultimate ability, starting weapons, and looks. The four characters are grapple hook-wielding Wylder, a bird man and strong frontliner named Guardian, a quick assassin called Duchess, and a mage named Recluse.

I highly recommend you start with Wylder. He’s an all-rounder with straightforward abilities and a playstyle you’ll be familiar with if you’re more used to traditional Soulslike games (for Bloodborne fans, Duchess is a closer fit). There’s a lot to learn in the early hours of Nightreign so starting with the simplest character will help avoid getting overwhelmed. Some of the characters rely on team synergy, but Wylder is perfectly capable of taking care of himself.

Some Bosses Are Meant To Be Challenged On Certain Days

While there’s a lot of randomization in Nightreign, the bosses can always be found in the same locations on every run. Over time, you’ll learn which bosses to prioritize based on where you are and what level you’re at. If you find a boss on the first day that seems way too hard, it probably is.

The mini-bosses you farm for XP during the day shouldn’t be long grinding fights. If your team can’t tear through them in a minute or two, you should move on to easier battles. Likewise, some bosses just aren’t worth your time on day two. Unless your options are limited or you just need a little bit more XP to level up, easy bosses should be ignored on the second day in favor of ones that will give you more powerful items.

Prioritize Churches, Avoid Mines

When you first open the map, there’s an overwhelming number of map markers and points of interest. Look for the ruined churches (same as in Elden Ring) and try to hit a couple of them on the first day. That’s where you’re going to find a flask that will increase the number of times you can heal yourself. There are typically four or five scattered around the map, but you don’t need to find all of them, and you probably won’t be able to. In my most successful runs, my team found three.

On the other hand, you should avoid exploring the mines until you’ve really learned your way around. The mines are long diversions with difficult enemies that can be a huge waste of time if you don’t know what you’re doing. Every second counts and there are more efficient ways to farm. Mines are a big gamble that just aren’t worth it until you’ve progressed some.

Watch Out For Ambushes

I’m going to dance around spoilers here because ambushes are an exciting mechanic to discover for yourself in Nightreign, but there’s some intricacies to these encounters you should know about if you want to make the most of your time.

You can’t get away from an ambush, one of Nightreign’s many random encounters, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay and fight. Whether you’re in a bad spot for a battle or you need to find a Site of Grace to refresh and level up before taking on a boss, sometimes you’re better off running away and letting the boss chase you until you’re ready to take him on.

Related: Everything We Learned At The Elden Ring Nightreign Preview

The boss will stick around until you either defeat them, or they kill someone on your team. Luckily it won’t end your run even if they kill all three of you. Dying during the day will only result in you losing one level, but you’ll respawn near your teammates after a few seconds. Sometimes it’s better to sacrifice a life to get rid of this boss rather than stand and fight, but if you can take them on, the rewards are often worth it.

Action RPG

Soulslike

Roguelite

Systems

Released

May 30, 2025

Developer(s)

From Software