FromSoftware has long been synonymous with punishing difficulty, atmospheric world-building, and methodical combat that demands every ounce of a player’s attention. Over the past several years, however, the studio has been quietly experimenting with multiplayer in more pronounced ways. After testing cooperative structures in Elden Ring Nightreign, the developer is now preparing something far more ambitious with The Duskbloods, an exclusive title for the Nintendo Switch 2 that blends vampires, grotesque creatures, and player-versus-player combat into a single, chaotic brew. The game’s closed network test offered an early, albeit limited, look at what could be one of the most distinctive experiences in the studio’s catalog—and it raises as many questions as it answers.
FromSoftware’s New Multiplayer Vision for Switch 2
The Duskbloods is not a traditional Soulslike in the vein of Dark Souls or Bloodborne. It is a multiplayer-focused title that pits eight players against one another in a 30-minute match divided into distinct phases. Players earn Virtue points through various activities, and the lowest scorers are progressively eliminated until only three remain for a final showdown called the Moon Blood Bestowal. This structure feels less like a battle royale and more like a competitive tabletop game, where strategy, timing, and adaptability matter as much as combat skill. The network test allowed two sessions, each lasting about half an hour, and despite the brief exposure, the experience left a strong impression—one that suggests the game is not designed for everyone, but could deeply reward those willing to learn its many systems.
Lowanro City: A Gothic Dreamscape
The game’s visual identity is immediately arresting. The Duskbloods leans into a gothic aesthetic drenched in vampire lore, but it does not simply reheat the dark, brooding look FromSoftware has used before. The test map, Lowanro City, is a sprawling, interconnected zone of dirty streets, Victorian-era buildings, a towering cathedral, fog-choked swamps, poisonous sewers, rooftops, and a massive bridge cutting through the urban nightmare. As the match progresses, the city grows progressively darker, reinforcing the sensation of being trapped in a fever dream. It is a world that feels familiar yet entirely alien, and that tension is part of the game’s identity.
Most intriguing are the characters themselves. The playable Bloodsworn (called Consangre in Portuguese) are visually diverse, ranging from relatively conventional warriors to nightmarish, almost surreal figures. Zork, for instance, is a hulking fighter in a massive armored diving suit equipped with a thruster—a design so peculiar it immediately sparks curiosity about the world’s lore. The enemy creatures and environmental details also carry a sense of unique personality, even as they echo earlier FromSoftware games. The game carves out a distinct artistic territory, one that feels like a natural evolution of the studio’s gothic roots rather than a mere rehash.
Performance at 60 FPS on Nintendo’s New Hardware
Technical performance during the network test was a pleasant surprise. The game targets 60 frames per second on the Switch 2, and while the frame rate is not entirely stable—occasional dips occur during heavy combat with multiple players, enemies, and visual effects—it never compromises the core experience. The visual quality comes close to what one would expect from a modern FromSoftware production, with detailed environments, smooth animations, and a consistent art style. For a game running on a portable console, this is an impressive achievement. The network test suggests that The Duskbloods will be a strong showcase for what the Switch 2 can handle, especially in chaotic multiplayer scenarios.
Combat Evolved: Vertical Movement and Vampiric Abilities
Anyone familiar with FromSoftware’s combat mechanics will recognize the foundation: space management, dodging, blocking, precise attacks, and careful reading of enemy movements. But The Duskbloods accelerates everything dramatically. Movement is far more vertical and dynamic, with infinite sprinting, charged jumps, four consecutive jumps, and an air dash. Players can cross the map rapidly, scale buildings, leap across rooftops, and reposition mid-combat. Firearms and ranged attacks are also part of the equation, and each Bloodsworn has unique abilities that fundamentally alter playstyle. At times, the combat feels closer to a character action game than a traditional Soulslike.
Blocking and parrying remain, but a well-timed block can open enemies to counterattacks. A howl ability can stun foes during the parry window. When an enemy becomes vulnerable, players can bite their neck to deal heavy damage and recover health. Against weaker foes, this bite can even turn them into temporary allies. The result is a combat system overflowing with simultaneous systems, making every encounter fast and unpredictable.
Meet the Bloodsworn: Six Unique Character Archetypes
The network test featured six Bloodsworn, and FromSoftware has confirmed at least a dozen for the full release. Each character comes with distinct weapons, abilities, attributes, and roles. Here is a breakdown of the test roster:
- Albert: The all-rounder, ideal for newcomers. Wields a sword and submachine gun, blending melee and range. His Blood Blade ability fires a projectile made of blood.
- Bloodhound Jan: A heavy hitter with a large axe and fire powers. Strong attacks restore health, and he can increase dodge speed and spread area blood attacks.
- Trang Lanh: The most agile character. Uses a circular blade that can be thrown, and can turn invisible for a limited time. At level 12, she summons a giant serpent to damage and push enemies.
- Sniper Layla: Wields twin blades and a long-range rifle, functioning almost like a hybrid of Soulslike and third-person shooter. She can also pull out a massive Gatling gun from her body.
- Senator Samir Patres: Fights with a thin sword and a magic ring that summons a spectral bird. His most absurd ability lets him transform into a carnivorous dinosaur to attack foes.
- Zork: The massive bruiser. His diving suit has a thruster for rapid flight into enemies and a cannon that fires missiles. He is one of the least accessible characters but can be devastating in skilled hands.
This variety is crucial because The Duskbloods does not want everyone playing the same way. Learning each Bloodsworn’s nuances will be essential, especially when player-to-player confrontation begins.
The Virtue Economy: How to Survive and Win
Understanding the Virtue system is the key to success. The Duskbloods matches gather eight players who must accumulate Virtue points to survive the phased elimination. The match is split into three roughly eight-minute phases. Everyone passes the first phase. After the second, the two lowest-scoring players are eliminated. After the third, three more are cut. The remaining three survivors proceed to the Moon Blood Bestowal, a closed-arena PvP battle.
Critically, killing other players is not the most efficient way to win. There are many ways to earn Virtue, including:
- Bloodfang Virtue: Defeating computer-controlled enemies.
- Collector Virtue: Gathering items scattered across the map.
- Flame Virtue: Finding special embers that appear in randomly determined zones.
- Repulsion Virtue: Defeating powerful Trespasser enemies.
- Pledge Virtue: Capturing points during Ritual events.
- Sword Virtue: Defeating other players within Ritual areas.
- Sigils: Special objectives tied to each Bloodsworn that offer additional Virtue.
This variety transforms each match into a race for performance rather than a simple deathmatch. Players can choose to hunt, explore, hoard, or ambush—and the best strategy often depends on the evolving situation.
Rituals and Risk: The Heart of PvP
The most tense moments occur during Rituals. In the second half of phases II and III, a designated area becomes a Ritual Location, containing several capture points. To capture a point, a player must hold a button for several seconds while completely vulnerable. Another player can attack, defeat them, and steal both the point and the Virtue points earned. This is where The Duskbloods transforms from an exploration-heavy game into something resembling a battle royale. Players can either continue farming enemies and resources or dive into the Ritual zone, risk everything in direct combat, and try to rocket up the rankings. Since dying does not mean immediate elimination—only the lowest scorers are removed at phase ends—there is room to experiment and take risks. This creates a compelling risk-reward loop that keeps every match unpredictable.
Temporary Alliances and Dynamic Emergence
Despite the competitive undercurrent, The Duskbloods does not force players to treat every other person as an enemy. During exploration, powerful Invaders (Trespassers) can appear—enemies so tough that they can consume significant time and resources. At these moments, players can temporarily cooperate to take down the threat, and everyone who participates receives Virtue if the group succeeds. There is also a duo mode where two players share Virtue points and advance together to a final showdown between the best teams.
This freedom makes the pace of each match dynamic. One moment you are alone, exploring a quiet alley; the next, you encounter another player and decide to help them fight a boss; minutes later, you are fighting that same person in a Ritual. The social unpredictability is one of the game’s greatest strengths—and also a potential source of frustration for players who prefer a more straightforward, less chaotic experience.
The Learning Curve: FromSoftware’s Signature Difficulty
Make no mistake: The Duskbloods retains the studio’s trademark difficulty. Understanding each character’s abilities, learning the high-mobility movement, recognizing when to attack, and assessing what each opponent can do are all essential—but all of this happens while seven other players are moving through the map. Aggressive players can decide to hunt others from the very start, which can ruin the experience for those who want to explore and level up. The steep learning curve is compounded by the sheer number of systems, rules, and objectives. The game demands patience, practice, and a willingness to fail. It is clearly not designed for those seeking a simple or immediately accessible experience.
However, for players who enjoy mastering complex systems, deeply understanding character mechanics, and getting lost in bizarre, secret-filled worlds, The Duskbloods offers something rare. The combination of Soulslike combat with extreme verticality, firearms, temporary cooperation, and a board-game-like scoring structure creates moments that would be impossible in a traditional Dark Souls or Bloodborne.
A Curious Experiment with Broad Potential
The network test left many questions unanswered. FromSoftware has mentioned progression, customization, and story content in a hub called the Nocturnal House, but details remain scarce. It would be a missed opportunity not to flesh out the game’s strangely compelling world with a more robust narrative experience. Still, if the final release remains primarily multiplayer, it has genuine potential to find its audience—especially if the price point is attractive. The Duskbloods is one of the most intriguing curiosities in the Switch 2 launch window, a game that could either become a cult favorite or a polarizing oddity. Either way, it proves that FromSoftware is not content to simply repeat itself, and that the studio’s creative restlessness may lead to some of the most interesting experiments in the industry.
