I just learned Nightreign beat expectations — and Elden Ring’s 2025 plan has a Switch 2 twist

What This Actually Changes for Elden Ring Fans

This caught my attention because FromSoftware usually lets a big expansion be the victory lap. Instead, they’re doubling down on Elden Ring in a way that hits three different player groups at once: a tougher endgame for Nightreign, fresh toys for the base game, and a portable “Tarnished Edition” targeting Nintendo’s next hardware. Kadokawa (FromSoft’s parent company) says the Nightreign spin-off exceeded expectations, and the studio’s responding with more content now and bigger moves in 2026. If you’re still wandering the Lands Between or squad-running Nightreign on weekends, the next year actually matters.

Key Takeaways

• Nightreign gets a serious difficulty spike with the Deep of Night mode (live since September 11) and a paid DLC, The Forsaken Hollows, on December 4, 2025.
• The Forsaken Hollows adds two classes (Scholar and Undertaker), a new zone called Limveld, and two bosses-priced around €15.
• The base Elden Ring is due new armor sets, weapons, and even Torrent customization in 2025, likely alongside the Tarnished Edition on Nintendo’s next Switch.
• FromSoftware is also prepping The Duskbloods, a new Switch 2 exclusive slated for 2026-big if true, and unusual for the studio.

Breaking Down the Announcements

Let’s start with Nightreign. The co-op standalone launched back in May 2025 with a three-player focus and a more tactical pace. It was good fun, but a chunk of the community bounced off the initial difficulty curve. The new Deep of Night mode goes directly at that criticism: enemies hit harder, behave more aggressively, and the boss you face rotates randomly. By tiers four and five you’re looking at effectively endless combat for scoreboard chasers. Weapons roll with positive and negative effects, so you’re playing build Jenga under pressure. This is the kind of “one more run” endgame Nightreign needed to keep veterans engaged.

Then, on December 4, The Forsaken Hollows lands as a paid DLC expansion for Nightreign. Two new classes stand out. The Scholar sounds like a high-skill catalyst for magic-first squads-think status setups, stagger windows, and resource efficiency if you’re disciplined. The Undertaker mixes faith and raw strength, which screams bruiser support: tankier frontlines with clutch heals or buffs. The new area, Limveld, promises shifting terrain, exotic ruins, and two fresh bosses. It’s not massive by the sound of it, but at around €15, it doesn’t need to reinvent the game—just extend the loop with meaningful roles and a new place to master.

Meanwhile, the base Elden Ring isn’t being left behind. FromSoftware is planning new armor sets, new weapons, and customization for Torrent in 2025. I’m cautiously excited here. If Torrent customization is purely cosmetic, fine—it’s long overdue to dress the spectral goat up a bit. But the dream is gentle mechanical tweaks: stamina efficiency, sprint burst options, maybe damage resistances against specific terrain hazards. As for new gear, the hope is “new sandbox space” rather than raw power creep. The last thing the Lands Between needs is a handful of overtuned toys steamrolling late-game bosses and flattening build diversity.

Why This Matters Now

Kadokawa saying Nightreign “exceeded expectations” is the tell. FromSoft took a risk with a co-op-leaning Elden Ring side dish, and it apparently paid off. That greenlight energy is all over this roadmap: a meaty challenge mode, a December DLC, and momentum that rolls into a 2025 push for the original game. It’s not just more content; it’s a bet that Elden Ring’s audience wants structure—repeatable endgame systems and reasons to revisit builds beyond a single DLC victory lap.

The Switch 2 angle is the other big swing. A Tarnished Edition late 2025 implies a handheld/console hybrid capable enough to run Elden Ring plus Shadow of the Erdtree respectably. Temper expectations until we see frame rate and resolution targets—remember how variable Souls ports have been on Nintendo hardware—but the idea of legit portable Elden Ring without cloud compromises is intoxicating. If they nail cross-save or at least sensible performance profiles, a lot of us are about to start fresh runs on the couch, on trains, everywhere.

Then there’s The Duskbloods, a brand-new FromSoftware title exclusive to Switch 2 in 2026. That’s spicy. FromSoft’s most iconic modern work tends to orbit PlayStation on the exclusivity front (hi, Bloodborne), so a Nintendo exclusive signals a broader platform strategy. I’m curious—and a little cautious. Exclusives can be brilliant showcases, but they also lock communities out. If this is smaller in scope, tuned for the hardware, and smart about co-op or online features, it could be a great fit. If it’s a core Soulslike that never leaves one platform, expect loud discourse.

The Gamer’s Perspective: What to Watch For

• Nightreign players: Deep of Night is worth a spin even if you bounced once. The randomized boss draw forces broader mastery, and the revised scoring rewards clean execution.
• About The Forsaken Hollows: €15 for a new zone, two classes, and bosses sounds fair—just skip the FOMO pre-order fluff (artbook and mini soundtrack) if you don’t care about it.
• Base game mains: keep an eye on how the new weapons slot into PvE and PvP. If Torrent customization affects traversal or mounted combat, speedrunners and invaders will find wild lines.
• Switch 2 crowd: wait for real gameplay. Docked vs. handheld performance, storage footprint, and control latency will decide whether Tarnished Edition is a victory lap or another “nice idea, rough in practice.”

Where I land: this isn’t just content for content’s sake. It’s FromSoftware trying to turn Elden Ring into a living platform without sacrificing its identity. If the new mode and DLC deepen Nightreign’s endgame and the base game refresh is balanced, 2025 could be a great year to return—on whatever screen you choose.

TL;DR

Nightreign outperformed, so it’s getting tougher endgame now and The Forsaken Hollows DLC on December 4. The base Elden Ring is due new gear and Torrent customization in 2025, likely alongside a Switch 2 Tarnished Edition. And in 2026, FromSoft’s cooking up The Duskbloods as a Nintendo exclusive—intriguing, but we need gameplay before hype.