Elden Ring Nightreign: Everything we know so far

On December 13, 2024By Littum

Elden Ring Nightreign is unlike anything we’ve ever seen from developer FromSoftware. The studio announced its Elden Ring spin-off at The Game Awards, a standalone adventure built around three-player online co-op. You dive into a universe parallel to Elden Ring’s core universe and venture into Limveld – an amalgamation of some of Limgrave’s environments and areas. In this new land, you’ll need to work with two of your friends to survive the day, looting and leveling as you explore, with night bringing a shrinking map and powerful boss encounters – come day three and you will be able to take on the Night Lord, earning powerful relics that can be used to supercharge your next session.

It’s a completely different take on the Elden Ring, and one we’re eager to learn more about. FromSoftware has already proven that co-op can work in this world, but Elden Ring Nightreign needs to be a massive expansion of the concept. The character creator is gone, so also more minute progression. Instead, Nightreign is built around fast collaboration, clever expansion of builds, and the coming together of different abilities to take on massive challenges against a deadline. Elden Ring Nightreign is one of the most anticipated games of 2025, and below you’ll find everything we know about it so far.

The Elden Ring Nightreign release date will be confirmed in 2025

Elden Ring Nightreign screenshot showing a character getting ready at Roundable Hold — (Image credit: FromSoftware)

FromSoftware has confirmed that Elden Ring Nightreign will arrive in 2025, although the developer has yet to set a firm release date for the experience. There’s no guessing on this one either, as Elden Ring launched in Spring 2022 and its only expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree, hit in Summer 2024. The lack of a firm date is a little frustrating, but at least we know we have another new game for 2025 to look forward to.

Elden Ring Nightreign platforms confirmed

Elden Ring Nightreign screenshot showing Night Rain creeping across the map as night falls — (Image credit: FromSoftware)

Elden Ring Nightreign is set to land on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X and Xbox One when it lands in 2025. The good news is that you don’t need to own a copy of Elden Ring to access this cooperative experience with your friends as it is a standalone adventure. It’s currently unknown if full cross-platform play will be supported, though it’s unexpected as this wasn’t available in the original Elden Ring experience (which only supported co-op within each publisher’s platform ecosystem).

Elden Ring Nightreign trailer

What is Elden Ring Nightreign?

Elden Ring Nightreign screenshot with three players fighting an explosive creature — (Image credit: FromSoftware)

Elden Ring Nightreign is a three-player co-op, standalone spin-off adventure set in a universe parallel to the events of Elden Ring. You’ll join two friends at the Roundtable Hold and then head off to Limveld, where you’ll fight together to survive three full day-and-night cycles. Survive the day and you’ll have to contend with the coming Night’s Tide, which shrinks the map until you have no other options but to fight a powerful boss. The world becomes progressively more challenging over the course of each of the three days, culminating in a battle with the Night Lord himself. FromSoftware says you can choose to play Elden Ring Nightreign solo, but there is strength in numbers.

Elden Ring Nightreign is not Elden Ring DLC

Elden Ring Nightreign screenshot highlighting how important co-op will be due to towering spider threats — (Image credit: FromSoftware)

Elden Ring Nightreign is not a DLC, it is a standalone adventure. Publisher Bandai Namco has also confirmed that it won’t be free-to-play, nor will it be a premium-priced experience, but has yet to give a firm answer over the air as to how much it will ultimately cost. As this is standalone, it is unlikely that any progression or items will carry over from Elden Ring or Shadow of the Erdtree.

Elden Ring Nightreign characters

Elden Ring Nightreign screenshot showing three unique character builds engaged in battle against an infernal creature — (Image credit: FromSoftware)

Elden Ring Nightreign is a departure from the classic FromSoftware model. You won’t be able to create a character from scratch, and will instead choose from one of eight unique character builds – each with their own weapons, fighting styles, unique abilities and ultimates. As you venture into the realm of the Night Lord, you’ll need to synergize with two other players to ensure a balanced party – working together to take down powerful enemies and venturing into more dangerous parts of the open-world Limveld map. You’ll be able to customize the look of your character in Elden Ring Nightreign by unlocking skins, and you’ll be able to upgrade your gear by uncovering special relics.

Elden Ring Nightreign gameplay

Elden Ring Nightreign screenshot showing the new Limveld environment from a high vantage point — (Image credit: FromSoftware)

The Elden Ring Nightreign gameplay is markedly different from the original Elden Ring. Where that experience dropped you into a sprawling open world and left you well enough alone to figure out how to proceed, Elden Ring Nightreign is more focused. It’s a session-based game that allows you and two friends to launch into Limveld and try to survive three full day-and-night cycles. As you explore the land and fight enemies together, you’ll uncover more powerful weapons and better rune and relic rewards – used to upgrade your gear and abilities. Sites of Grace can also be found throughout the shrinking map, giving you a chance to level up and gain decisive power for the session.

Leveling is different in Elden Ring Nightreign compared to its single player counterpart. You won’t be investing runes into individual stats, but rather into entire levels, which boost your character stats across the board. Nightreign has eight characters to choose from, and the stat expansion is different for each of them. Character stats don’t carry over between sessions – meaning whether your party succumbs to the perils of the Limveld or is able to defeat the Nightlord, you’ll always start a new adventure back at level one. There is however, progression in the form of Relics – earned through both successful and unsuccessful runs – which provide massive bonuses that affect everything from exploration to your gear.

Elden Ring Nightreign battle

Elden Ring Nightreign screenshot showing a small magic and skeleton summon

(Image credit: FromSoftware)

The Elden Ring Nightreign battle experience builds on the basic Elden Ring experience, but there will be some notable differences. With the character creator gone, there are eight builds to choose from as you load into a session – each with their own gear, weapons and skills. From the gameplay footage we’ve seen so far, it’s the combination of the three characters that opens up the best possibilities in Elden Ring Nightreign with tank, DPS and support builds coming together to tackle big challenges. There are also some subtle changes with fall damage removed from the experience and movement sped up to allow for faster exploration and navigation while fighting a shrinking map. Otherwise, expect Elden Ring Nightreign to handle it similarly to the original Elden Ring, with the controls and core combat mechanics returning.

Elden Ring is one of them best action game ever made, but only time will tell if this co-op spin-off will be considered one of those best online games in today’s market.