FromSoftware enters the skill-based matchmaking debate with The Duskbloods: “We definitely plan on having the matchmaking system work in a way so that it’s ranked”
FromSoftware has announced ranked skill-based matchmaking for The Duskbloods, with director Hidetaka Miyazaki confirming that the system will group proficient players together whilst pairing newcomers with similarly inexperienced opponents. The implementation addresses concerns about new players—particularly those who might purchase the game later after Switch 2's release—facing overwhelming encounters with veteran players equipped with advanced gear and months of experience.
Beyond the ranked competitive structure, Miyazaki indicated that progression encompasses multiple pathways including story content and character customisation options, allowing players to advance and find satisfaction outside of PvP match outcomes. This approach aims to establish an environment where both novice and experienced players can engage meaningfully with the game according to their preferences.
- FromSoftware will implement ranked matchmaking in The Duskbloods to separate experienced and novice players
- New players are protected from seasoned opponents to improve onboarding for future Switch 2 adopters
- Progression allows alternative paths through story and character customisation beyond competitive ranking
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The Duskbloods is an upcoming multiplayer game from FromSoftware, the Japanese studio behind Dark Souls, Elden Ring and Bloodborne, known for punishing, high-skill action games. The title is being developed under director Hidetaka Miyazaki, who has been speaking publicly about how the game's online matches will work, including how players will be paired against one another.
A recurring worry with competitive online games is matchmaking: how the system decides which players face each other. If newcomers are routinely pitted against far more experienced opponents, matches can feel unfair and put people off the game entirely. This has become a live debate across the games industry, with different studios taking different approaches to keep contests balanced between players of similar ability.
This matters because The Duskbloods marks something of a departure for FromSoftware, a studio traditionally associated with single-player or co-operative experiences, into a more explicitly competitive, PvP-focused format. How the studio handles matchmaking and player progression will shape whether both newcomers and veterans find the game welcoming, and is being watched closely given the game's anticipated release alongside Nintendo's Switch 2 console.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Advocates of ranked, skill-based matchmaking argue it protects the experience for both newcomers and veterans by preventing lopsided, demoralising encounters where inexperienced players face those with months of gear progression and honed technique. They value fairness and retention, reasoning that if new buyers are repeatedly crushed by seasoned players, they will simply abandon the game, whereas a well-tiered system lets everyone find contests that feel competitive and earned. Pairing this with alternative progression routes, such as story content and customisation, is seen as a thoughtful way to ensure satisfaction isn't solely tied to win-loss records.
The case against
Sceptics of skill-based matchmaking, particularly in a From Software title built on organic, unpredictable encounters, worry that ranking systems can undermine the tension and camaraderie that come from genuinely mixed-skill lobbies, where beating the odds against a stronger opponent is part of the appeal. They value emergent, unmanufactured challenge over engineered fairness, and fear that formal ranking encourages a narrower, more competitive mindset, discourages experimentation with builds, and can produce artificial-feeling matches or longer queue times as the system searches for precise skill parity. Some also question whether newcomers are genuinely served by being cordoned off from veterans, since learning by facing tougher opposition is part of what draws players to the studio's traditionally difficult, sink-or-swim design philosophy.