Elden Ring: Nightreign release date knocks back an Estus and takes a swing at May 2025

rockpapershotgun.com:

Elden Ring Nightreign will release 30th May 2025 on Steam, developers FromSoftware and publishers Bandai Namco have announced. In a few short months, you and up to two friends will be called upon to rush a few bosses on a large, shrinking map set in the same universe as the 2022 open worlder. Is it the Elden Ring sequel many would like? No. Is it going to kindle similar feelings of frustration, despair and sporadic religious ecstasy? The omens seem good.

A recap in case you missed the game's announcement last year: each round of Nightreign challenges you to survive three in-game days, touring the environment in search of randomised elements and events so as to level up and prepare yourself for a boss fight at sunset. Make it to day three and you'll face one of eight Nightlords, whose ranks include characters from previous From Software games. As for player characters, you don't create your own as in vanilla Elden Ring. Instead, you'll pick from upgradeable Nightfarer prefabs such as the omnipurpose Wylder, the tanky Guardian and the agile and devious Duchess.

While the game is geared for co-op, you have the option of playing offline with bot pals, and you can queue for matches either alone, in pairs or in trios. So it doesn't quite depend on you having a banger human team of seasoned Tarnished ready to go, though I imagine that'll help. There's a beta test coming this weekend, though it's only on console. It runs from Friday 14th February to Monday 17th February as a series of three hour long sessions, and gives you access to four of eight Nightfarer characters.

We may or may not have somebody checking out the console beta. I won't name the individual in question because I do not wish to publicly associate them with one of those awful Eggsbogs or StayPlaytions and Tarnish their career forever. Did you know people don't even play games on Eggsbogs and StayPlaytions while sitting at desks? No, they play them while lolling on the sofa, like disgraceful Golden