This interview has been edited for clarity.
No matter the setting, nighttime is always the prime hour for lurking dangers, who hide in the veil of darkness and reduced visibility to spring an ambush on unsuspecting players. In Elden Ring, the addition of a day-night cycle spruced up the familiar FromSoftware formula, bringing tougher, more challenging bosses like the Night’s Cavalry to the Lands Between.
It can be a lonely journey, with the solitude amplified through the game’s vast open-world setting. While the Japanese studio is no stranger to multiplayer elements, its titles are primarily designed for individual play, so imagine the surprise when Elden Ring Nightreign unveiled a bold pivot from tradition to a cooperative-heavy approach. Solo outings are still an option, but it puts three-player squads into focus and takes a stab at treading uncharted territory.
The number also makes its presence known in other areas. Apart from team dynamics, the standalone spin-off features a three-day cycle that repeats thrice until the final boss. At the core of it lies the day-night mechanic from the base game, now repackaged into two halves of its gameplay loop – the day phase, which revolves around exploration, fighting smaller foes to level up, and gathering gear and consumables, and taking down powerful bosses at night (thus the name ‘Nightreign’). Rinse and repeat for the second day until the boss is defeated, then it’s a direct pathway to the third and final night, where the mighty Nightlord awaits.
Given the recurring mention of ‘three’, it wouldn’t be presumptuous to think it deliberate rather than a coincidence. After all, the rule of three is a principle that spans several disciplines in the real world, from writing and photography to even survival. As it turns out, the approach wasn’t quite intentional, with director Junya Ishizaki noting how “‘three’ tends to be a good number when it comes to balancing.”
“In terms of the players, three is the sweet spot for getting the perfect level of difficulty and challenge, while still not feeling completely overwhelmed,” he shares in a virtual interview held for select Southeast Asian media. “It’s a similar experience for the three-day cycle – three just seems like the perfect amount of time to experience all the various RPG [elements], like character building, bosses, and exploration. If it’s too short or long, it gets diluted a little bit.”
Indeed, the upcoming title breeds a strong sense of urgency that sets it apart from its forebear. Where the original encouraged exploration at one’s own pace, speed is the name of the game here, as the time crunch presents two main challenges: the need to be sufficiently prepared for the night bosses, and being on the move constantly to stay within the radius of a shrinking circle or risk taking damage. The latter is pulled directly from the battle royale genre, allowing for faster-paced gameplay that has drawn comparisons to speedrunning.
According to the series veteran, its influence feeds into the Elden Ring Nightreign experience, and it isn’t as extensive as some may think. Instead, the creative process is rooted more in “taking the various aspects of the original and boiling [them] down to make it quicker, punchier, and faster”, while also striking a balance between establishing a new identity and fleshing out existing lore. The element of continuity comes into play here, as the offshoot is set in a universe parallel to the events of the main game.
“We have to make sure that the mythos is similar up to a certain point, but there’s also this separate mythos,” highlights Ishizaki. “In Elden Ring, you have concepts like [Sites of] Grace that are key pillars you want to build on, but in the case of Nightreign, night is the concept we went with. It’s taking that and seeing how we can work off the previous lore and make it its own separate thing.”
In a similar vein, customisation has also received a fresh coat of paint. The player is no longer able to create a custom character, confined to a pool of eight classes at launch, including Wylder, Guardian, Duchess, and Recluse. Each is equipped with their own unique abilities and resembles an archetype from the base game, with the quartet corresponding to Warrior, Vanguard, Rogue, and Mage.
It’s a deliberate choice born out of pragmatism – the tight pacing and “quick, crunchy experience” leaves little room to dilly-dally, and character creation takes time. Besides, the characters’ builds and abilities are designed to work together, allowing for a lot more synergy than random options. Despite the restraints, Ishizaki is quick to assure that players will still enjoy a fair degree of freedom.
“At the end of the day, we want players to have the freedom to pick and choose and play in any way that they want,” he emphasises, adding that there’s “nothing wrong” with building a magic-focused character for melee if a player decides to do so.
To that end, Elden Ring Nightreign doesn’t place a limit on the number of classes, which means a team can have more than one of the same type. Players can choose to tackle day tasks by themselves and only work together from time to time or stick with one another throughout the session, as well as change character skins, weapons, play styles, and relics – tiered crystals that offer different effects and perks – whenever they want.
Regardless of choice, there’s no escaping the perils of Limveld, where its bosses don’t only hail from native land. The spin-off will pit Nightfarers against the Centipede Demon from Dark Souls and the Nameless King of Dark Souls 3 fame, as teased in official footage, with more likely to follow. Veterans have already found a good friend in death, but for newcomers seeking to embark on a new adventure (or more likely, dragged into the action by their friends), Ishizaki imparts his wisdom, “Give it a try and just keep at it.”
After all, when night falls, the Nightfarer will rise.
Elden Ring Nightreign releases on 30 May 2025 for PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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