The Duskbloods

The Duskbloods
Stylized title logo reading "The Duskbloods"
DeveloperFromSoftware
Publishers
DirectorHidetaka Miyazaki
PlatformNintendo Switch 2
Release2026
GenreAction game
ModeMultiplayer

The Duskbloods[a] is an upcoming multiplayer action game by FromSoftware for the Nintendo Switch 2. Directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, development began for the original Nintendo Switch before the project shifted to the Switch 2 for release in 2026. Online matches support up to eight players and combine player versus player (PvP) and player versus environment (PvE) combat. Players control Bloodsworn, characters empowered by special blood, each with distinct weapons and abilities.

Setting

The Duskbloods is set during the "Twilight of Humanity", an event in which the Bloodsworn are summoned from different times and places to compete for "First Blood". The Bloodsworn are player-controlled characters who have gained superhuman abilities through special blood. The game therefore has no fixed era or location.[2]

Gameplay

The Duskbloods is a multiplayer action game that features player versus player (PvP) and player versus environment (PvE) gameplay for up to eight participants.[3][4] Players choose from over a dozen Bloodsworn—vampire-like characters, each possessing unique weapons, including firearms, and abilities—to compete across various maps.[5][6] Players can customize their characters in a dedicated hub area. Lore fragments are integrated into character customization items, specifically within each character's "blood history and fate", which reveals details about the game world.[7] By customizing a character's blood history and fate, players can adjust attributes such as abilities, appearance, and characteristics, as well as their in-game role. These roles assign specific responsibilities and objectives during matches.[2] For example, the Destined Rivals role requires a player to find and defeat a designated rival, while the Destined Companion role tasks a player with seeking out a designated ally, earning a special reward.[8] Each character can summon an entity to assist in combat.[2] An event system may dynamically influence matches by introducing elements such as special enemy spawns and additional objectives that offer bonus rewards.[5] Players earn Victory Points, which determine the outcome of a match, through direct combat or more strategic actions. Online matches generally use a last-player-standing format, although some use alternative victory conditions, such as defeating a boss enemy.[2] Upon completion, players receive rewards, regardless of the outcome, which can be used for character customization.[7]

Development and release

FromSoftware met with Nintendo to discuss ideas and presented a rough outline for The Duskbloods. Director Hidetaka Miyazaki described the proposal as a loose collection of ideas rather than a formal presentation. Nintendo expressed interest, and a small FromSoftware team began developing the game for the original Nintendo Switch. After Nintendo approached the studio about the Nintendo Switch 2, development shifted to the new hardware, which allowed FromSoftware to focus more on online play while remaining closer to its original vision.[2]

Although inspired by vampires, the Bloodsworn are not depicted as traditional horror monsters.[9] The developers drew on romantic aspects associated with vampires and blood when designing the characters, who are collectively known as the Duskbloods.[7] The game's maps include Gothic- and Victorian-style environments, as well as settings inspired by the closing years of the early modern period.[10] Miyazaki said the game's combination of player versus player and player versus environment elements offered varied design possibilities while drawing on FromSoftware's experience creating challenging enemy encounters.[6]

The game was announced in April 2025 as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive and is scheduled for release in 2026.[3][11] In February 2026, KADOKAWA said that Nintendo and FromSoftware would share sales responsibilities on a regional basis.[1] A network test took place from August 21–24, 2026.[12][13]

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: ダスクブラッド (Dasukuburaddo)

References

  1. 1 2 Robinson, Andy (12 February 2026). "FromSoftware owner reiterates The Duskbloods is still coming this year, exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2". Video Games Chronicle. Retrieved 10 July 2026. It will be sold on a joint basis with Nintendo Co., Ltd., with sales responsibilities divided by region.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Creator's Voice: The Duskbloods". Nintendo. 4 April 2025. Archived from the original on 7 April 2025. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Nintendo Switch 2 "The Duskbloods" Releasing in 2026〈FromSoftware〉" (Press release). KADOKAWA Corporation. 2 April 2025. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  4. ↑ Wales, Matt (2 April 2025). "FromSoftware's The Duskbloods is Bloodborne meets Sekiro meets Dark Souls, with jetpacks and dinos thrown in". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 7 April 2025. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  5. 1 2 Gach, Ethan (4 April 2025). "Elden Ring Director Hidetaka Miyazaki Explains What You Actually Do In Bloodborne-Looking Multiplayer Switch 2 Exclusive Duskbloods". Kotaku. Archived from the original on 7 April 2025. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  6. 1 2 McWhertor, Michael (4 April 2025). "Why FromSoft is all in on multiplayer with Switch 2 game The Duskbloods". Polygon. Archived from the original on 7 April 2025. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 Van Allen, Eric (4 April 2025). "Switch 2 Exclusive The Duskbloods: 7 Things We Learned From Nintendo's Interview with Director Hidetaka Miyazaki". IGN. Archived from the original on 7 April 2025. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  8. ↑ Sinha, Ravi (4 April 2025). "The Duskbloods' Roles Let You Mark Other Players as Companions or Rivals". GamingBolt. Archived from the original on 7 April 2025. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  9. ↑ Di Benedetto, Antonio G. (4 April 2025). "FromSoftware's Miyazaki assures fans the studio will still make single-player games". The Verge. Archived from the original on 4 April 2025. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  10. ↑ Wilson, Mike (6 April 2025). "New Details Revealed for The Duskbloods From Director Hidetaka Miyazaki". Bloody Disgusting. Archived from the original on 7 April 2025. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  11. ↑ Bankhurst, Adam (2 April 2025). "Nintendo Switch 2 Direct: Everything Announced". IGN. Archived from the original on 7 April 2025. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  12. ↑ ネットワーク テスト 実施 決定 [Network test announced]. The Duskbloods official website (in Japanese). FromSoftware. 9 June 2026. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  13. ↑ Aubrey, Dave (18 August 2026). "Codes for FromSoftware's The Duskbloods Network Test have been sent out to participants". Video Games Chronicle. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
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