The Duskbloods gets closed network test, launches on Switch 2 in 2026

Nintendo gave The Duskbloods its clearest move toward launch by confirming a closed network test later this summer and a 2026 release on Switch 2. That shift matters because the game is not being framed as a typical FromSoftware solo adventure, but as a multiplayer-first project that will need real players in the loop before it ships.

The Nintendo Store page listed The Duskbloods as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive and said it supports online play for one to eight players. Nintendo’s official overview described it as a new multiplayer title from the creators of Dark Souls and Elden Ring, which puts the game squarely in FromSoftware’s legacy while also pushing it into a more overtly connected format. Nintendo also said registration details for the closed network test would come later, so sign-ups are not open yet.

That test is especially telling because The Duskbloods was built around a PvPvE structure from the start. In Hidetaka Miyazaki’s April 4, 2025 Creator’s Voice interview, he said the game began as a rough concept pitched to Nintendo and was first being developed by a small team as a Nintendo Switch title before being reworked for Switch 2. He also said Nintendo’s newer hardware, with its emphasis on online features, helped the studio stay as true to the original vision as possible.

Miyazaki described the game as an online-multiplayer focused project with both player-versus-player and player-versus-enemy gameplay, and he made clear that FromSoftware is not abandoning its single-player roots. That balance is part of what makes The Duskbloods stand out: it is a FromSoftware game built around tension, atmosphere, and combat, but now with a structure that depends on multiplayer timing, balance, and network reliability as much as it does on art direction or boss design.

For Nintendo, the closed test also sharpens the pitch for Switch 2. A FromSoftware exclusive built for 1 to 8 online players gives the system a prestige third-party showcase that looks very different from Nintendo’s usual family-friendly lineup. The summer test now serves as the first real stress check on that idea, turning The Duskbloods from a striking concept into a live multiplayer project with a launch window attached.