FromSoftware’s Switch 2-exclusive The Duskbloods sounds like Elden Ring… but PvP?

Why this announcement actually matters

This caught my attention because FromSoftware – the studio that made you learn to fear a single enemy with one unblockable swing – is leaning hard into multiplayer. The Duskbloods is being billed as an eight-player PvP/PvE action RPG exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2, supervised by Hidetaka Miyazaki, and a recent rumor claims it spent seven to eight years in design. That’s a much longer refinement window than for Elden Ring, and if any studio can pull off something that rethinks how Souls-like combat works online, it’s them. But a few alarm bells are worth ringing, too.

• FromSoftware is targeting full multiplayer design rather than iterative single-player updates.
• Reported 7-8 year design cycle suggests serious R&D, but it’s currently a rumor from journalist Ziostorm.
• Switch 2 exclusivity and online features point to technical and platform strategy – and potential limits for players on PC/PS/Xbox.
• Gameplay promises (Bloodsworn archetypes, gunplay, hub-driven customization, last-man-standing matches) raise both excitement and balance concerns.

Breaking down the announcement — what we actually know

Officially, The Duskbloods was teased during Nintendo’s April 2025 Direct and is slated for a 2026 release on the Switch 2. FromSoftware is listed as both developer and publisher, and Miyazaki’s name is attached as supervisor — a signal that this isn’t a side project. The game supports up to eight players, combining PvP and PvE elements, with matches that end when a single player remains and where rewards can be won or lost based on performance.

Unverified reporting from Chinese journalist Ziostorm adds the more eyebrow-raising detail: an internal design cycle of seven to eight years, longer than even Elden Ring’s development. Supposedly the project began on the original Switch and was later moved to the Switch 2 to take advantage of new hardware and online systems. If true, that implies FromSoftware wasn’t just porting a game — they rebuilt and rethought core mechanics for this multiplayer vision.

What the game looks like on paper

The pitch mixes gothic romance and competitive survival. Players are “Bloodsworn,” vampire-adjacent characters chosen from more than a dozen archetypes. Each archetype has unique weapons — including firearms — and abilities. There’s a hub for deep customization where players tweak “story and blood destiny” to influence stats and assign roles during matches. One role, translated as “Rival Destined,” forces you to hunt a specific enemy. The last-player-standing format sounds like a FromSoftware take on extraction/arena loops, with risk-of-loss mechanics for rewards.

Why this is a real shift for FromSoftware — and why that matters

FromSoftware built its reputation on solitary, punishing single-player design that occasionally flirted with asymmetrical multiplayer — think invasions and Spirit Ash co-op in Dark Souls and Elden Ring. Turning multiplayer from an add-on into the core design changes a lot: pacing, encounter design, balance, and the emotional tone of a game that used to revel in loneliness and discovery.

If the rumor about a seven-to-eight-year refinement window is accurate, it suggests they’ve been trying to solve those problems for a long time: how to keep combat crisp with eight players; how to design encounters that work for both PvE squads and competitive duels; and how to preserve the studio’s signature stakes without devolving into purely grindy, monetized systems. That’s ambitious. It could be a genuine evolution of the Souls formula — or a risky detour that dilutes what made FromSoftware special.

Skeptical questions and red flags

Ziostorm’s report is just that — a report, not an announcement from FromSoftware or Nintendo. We should ask: how much of this is finalized design versus early experimentation? Will the game remain exclusive to Switch 2, or is this a timed deal? How will matchmaking, latency, and balance work on a console traditionally weaker than modern PC/PS/Xbox hardware? And crucially: how will rewards that can be lost affect player behavior and potential monetization?

What gamers should expect

Expect bold design choices. If FromSoftware’s spent years iterating on multiplayer systems, we might get the most rigorously designed PvP/PvE hybrid they’ve attempted. But also expect trade-offs: exclusivity limits access, and the studio’s move away from solo experiences might not sit well with purists. Wait for actual gameplay footage and hands-on impressions before deciding whether this is evolution or experiment.

TL;DR

The Duskbloods could be FromSoftware’s most ambitious gamble yet — a Miyazaki-supervised, Switch 2-exclusive, eight-player PvP/PvE action RPG that reportedly spent seven to eight years in design. That long development window is either a sign of careful craftsmanship or a project struggling to find its identity. Take the rumor with a grain of salt, but keep an eye out: if this pans out, it could reshape how we think about Souls-like multiplayer — for better or worse.