Elden Ring: Nightreign is the newest game from developer FromSoftware, the studio behind the Dark Souls series and 2022's Elden Ring. Nightreign takes a multiplayer spin on the Elden Ring formula, and it's causing a rift among fans of the original game.
Nightreign is a multiplayer roguelike game that takes place on an island in the Lands Between, the setting for Elden Ring. Instead of exploring a big world full of monsters, giant bosses, and deep lore, players need to survive three in-game days in a rush to defeat the Nightlord in order to have a successful run.
Gamers have been buying the game in huge numbers so far. The official Elden Ring X account posted that as of May 30, the game's official launch day, two million copies of Nightreign had already been sold.
Darkness fell over Limveld, and two million Nightfarers rose up against it. Thank you for your support. #ELDENRING #NIGHTREIGN pic.twitter.com/VEUbLp5xiDMay 30, 2025
However, not everyone who buys the game is happy with it. While critics have been positive about it, giving it an aggregate score of 78% on OpenCritic, those who bought it are saying otherwise.
On Steam, players have shown their dissatisfaction with the game, resulting in a "Mixed" rating based on more than 31,000 reviews. Players have had issues with the incredible difficulty of solo runs, the inability to find teammates through matchmaking, and the lack of an option for teams of two.
Fortunately, those are issues being addressed by FromSoftware and the community.
FromSoftware sent out a couple of tweets regarding two of the issues players are having. For those who want to play solo but find it too tough, the developer says patch 1.02, coming out next week, will allow players to revive automatically during gameplay, and more runs will be rewarded per match.
Runs are used to level up a character. As for matchmaking, FromSoftware also gave some tips on adjusting the network settings in case players can't find others to team with.
One game modder already worked on adding a duos option to the game, at least for PC players. The Seamless Co-Op (Nightreign) mod is available for download so players can team up with one person and begin a match instead of trying to find a third.
What is Elden Ring Nightreign?
Nightreign takes the combat from Elden Ring and makes it a fast-paced multiplayer title.
Players pick from one of eight Nightfarers, who each have their own strengths and weaknesses. The Recluse is a powerful magic user who can do huge damage, but won't be able to survive many hits during battle. On the other hand, the Raider is a character who can take the punishment from enemies, but he's very slow when attacking.
Whether it's solo or with a team, the goal is to defeat a Nightlord, a special boss that is very difficult to beat. To reach the Nightlord, players will have to survive three in-game days. They'll be dropped onto the island of Limvel where they will have to gather equipment and level up their characters. Both of these can be done by taking on bosses found all across the map. Each run will have a slightly different map and bosses.
As the day progresses, this takes around 14 real-time minutes, a storm circle will close in, forcing players to move to avoid the storm or else take on continuous damage. When night comes, the players will have to defeat a night boss, which can be difficult if they don't have the right equipment or a high enough level.
Once that boss is defeated, the storm circle resets, and players can explore the island again until the next storm begins and they face the second night boss. If they survive the second boss, players will be transported to an arena to fight the third boss.
As players defeat more bosses, they'll be able to unlock other characters, better relics to equip before a run, and learn more about each Nightfarer.
Elden Ring: Nightreign costs $40 and is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series consoles.
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