FromSoftware, the studio behind Elden Ring and Bloodborne, is departing from its usual formula of single-player RPGs with light multiplayer elements to create The Duskbloods, a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive built entirely around frantic multiplayer combat. Having spent two days playing the game in Tokyo, the writer describes a battle royale-style structure in which eight players fight, form alliances, and even "marry" one another as they compete across three phases, culminating in a three-way final showdown. The shift matters because it represents a significant creative departure for a developer renowned for atmospheric single-player world-building, testing whether its combat and level design can translate into a more chaotic, social format.

Matches take place across a multi-tiered map dominated by a clock tower and criss-crossed by sewers, and players earn a currency called Virtue through fighting AI enemies and bosses, holding capture points, collecting items and battling rivals; the two players with the least Virtue are eliminated at the end of each phase. Game director Hidetaka Miyazaki says he drew inspiration from board games and pen-and-paper RPGs, reflected in a "Sigil" system that gives each player a personal objective, such as marrying another player or hunting heretics, forcing constant tactical reassessment of when to fight, help or avoid other players. The reviewer found the concept inventive but occasionally confusing, citing a cluttered interface, elements of unfair randomness in how Virtue is awarded, and uncertainty over how the game will evolve once players discover optimal strategies.