What is The Duskbloods, another Soulsborne game from Bloodborne, Elden Ring Devs?

FromSoftware's prestige skyrocketed throughout the 2010s, and the studio only continued to gather momentum in 2020 with releases like Elden Ring, Armored Core 6, Elden Ring Nightreign, and soon Duskbloods. But just as promising as Duskbloods It seems to be a bit unusual from FromSoft. Players less attuned to the company, or the genre in general, could be forgiven for not knowing much.

Revealed in April 2025 during the Nintendo Switch Early Show, Duskbloods is a Switch 2 exclusive. That's enough to make it stand out from the rest of FromSoftware's catalog, as the famed developer has only worked with Sony on exclusive games — and only twice. No less remarkable is the striking similarity of the game with BloodyFromSoft's fan favorite released in 2015; both games share the same dark, quasi-steampunk aesthetic and themes. As more information about Duskbloods penetrates the time of time, the upcoming cooperative multiplayer soul becomes even more interesting.

What is Duskbloods?

The signature haunting images of the game - The Duskbloods

Like Elden Ring Nightreign, Duskbloods is a co-op game designed for the iconic soul-like combat that audiences have become so accustomed to. But unlike Nightreign, Duskbloods is not a roguelike: it's a PvPvE action RPG that supports up to eight players competing in different matches and locations. Duskbloods will feature “over a dozen” playable characters, each with their own unique abilities, stats, movesets, and lore. Collectively, these player characters are known as the Bloodsworn, vampire-like beings who must battle blood-altered abominations and each other as humanity approaches its final hour.

Duskbloods story and setting

In typical FromSoftware fashion, Duskbloods' the narrative is shrouded in mystery; moreover, it will likely continue to be opaque until at least a few weeks after launch, once lore-delvers delve into the depths of its esoteric world. Nevertheless, several conclusions can be drawn from what has been revealed so far.

Where and when does The Duskbloods take place?

One of the most significant parallels between Duskbloods and Bloody it's a matter of setting and aesthetics. Duskbloods is clearly influenced by the same Gothic and Victorian architecture and fashion as its 2015 predecessor. The characters are depicted in 19th century clothing, the buildings are imposing and ornate, and many pieces of equipment such as weapons and blades are also very modern.

It also uses the same Van Helsing and steampunk vibes as Bloodybut probably more. When it comes to vampire hunting fodder, Duskbloods It seems to focus more on animals and hideous magical concepts than the vague cosmic mysticism shown in Bloody (although it's hard to be sure at this stage). The steampunk inspiration is also much more apparent at some points DuskbloodsThe reveal trailer shows a fully functional train system and even a character in a metal suit like the Rocketeer. Like most FromSoftware games, Duskbloods it will likely be separated from both the real world and other FromSoft IPs.

How Duskbloods breaks massive software tradition

What we know about the Duskbloods story

Duskbloods takes place during an era known as the Twilight of Mankind, when civilization is nearing its end. Each Bloodsworn must seek out a substance called First Blood that will be used for… something important. Again, this is a FromSoftware game, so the exact nature of this seminal material, like Paleblood, Elden Ring and First Flame before it, is obscured. But it can be assumed that First Blood is meant to play a key role in reversing, preventing, or otherwise mitigating the Twilight of Humanity.

In their quest for First Blood, the Bloodsworn are tasked with visiting the various locations and time periods that are the backdrops for each individual game session. While DuskbloodsThe early promotional footage maintains a consistent Victorian theme, although as they approach more modern concepts such as the railway, it's possible that their setting will actually be much more diverse than originally thought. If the Bloodsworn can travel through time, perhaps the game's environments, enemy types, and plot rhythms will be much more diverse than the gothic trailer suggests.

Twilight BloodwithThe title is a reference to Bloodsworn itself: Hidetaka Miyazaki described “Duskbloods” and “Bloodsworn” as somewhat interchangeable.

Is Duskbloods a bloody sequel?

Many have speculated about it Duskbloods actually related Bloody they thus resemble the earlier game in their aesthetic and narrative theme. Leaving aside FromSoftware's own comments on the matter, this is highly unlikely for several reasons, not the least of which is that Sony owns Bloody IP. From Duskbloods is a Switch 2 exclusive, it would be quite unlikely to have any explicit connection Bloodyfor better or for worse.

Duskbloods game

FromSoftware has been very clear that multiplayer is the core of the game Duskbloodsat least to the same extent as Elden Ring Nightreign. Based on the available information, the game loop of broadstrokes seems to resemble the following:

Engage in PvPvE matches with other players
Earn victory points when completed
Return to the hub area where character customization takes place using victory points as currency
Repeat the PvPvE cycle

According to Miyazaki, players can assign their chosen character a role that determines their victory conditions for the next match. These victory conditions can range from finding and defeating another player to the exact opposite – helping a specific player and forming a bond with them. Completing these role-based objectives will grant special rewards.

Duskbloods release date

Duskbloods is slated for 2026, though neither FromSoftware nor Nintendo have given a specific date at the time of writing. As Elden Ring NightreignAs the first year draws to a close, the developer may soon have a bit more bandwidth to spend Twilight blood support.

Recent leaks claim that FromSoftware is developing Duskbloods longer than any of his other plays, incl Elden Ringand that it's a much more ambitious project than the developer has admitted so far. Let's hope FromSoft doesn't wait too long for another curtain call so we can really judge how innovative this title could be.