One of the pleasant surprises from the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct was the announcement of FromSoftware's The Duskbloods will be a Switch 2 exclusive, and even this far from release, it's a bit of an oddity. It's set to be a PvPvE game, borrowing from the extraction genre, but the Switch hasn't necessarily been a destination for multiplayer experiences, and FromSoftware isn't exactly known for its online prowess.

The multiplayer systems of games like Dark Souls and Elden Ring are notoriously clunky, and the developer has yet to adopt crossplay, which is, at this point, industry standard. Despite the unexpected premise of The Duskbloods being PvPvE, I'm fairly confident the game can deliver compelling gameplay, especially after the greatest hits-style gameplay of Nightreign. Elden Ring Nightreign's performance issues, however, may spell trouble for The Duskbloods' launch next year.

Elden Ring Nightreign's Launch Has Been Plagued With Performance Issues

Par For The Elden Ring Course

Upon its release, Elden Ring Nightreign has been derided for its poor technical state. This has contributed to its mixed reviews on Steam, but it's also affecting every platform. PlayStation and Xbox also suffer from severe frame rate drops and inconsistent frame timing. This is especially frustrating since the game features FromSoftware's famously cuthroat and precise combat. A sluggish second can cause you to mistime a dodge roll and end a run. This is all on top of Nightreign's generally clunky matchmaking systems, which are actually an improvement on previous FromSoftware games.

This is sadly expected of Nightreign, because it borrows the vast majority of its assets from Elden Ring, which is also not a technical marvel. Elden Ring has suffered from the same frame rate issues since launch, and very little has been done to address them; performance is still suboptimal. It's not so bad as to ruin the experience, but when it happens in the middle of a fight, it can be frustrating.

The Duskbloods May Have Trouble Running On The Switch 2

FromSoftware Optimization & Nintendo Hardware

A moon-shaped creature with wings from The Duskbloods smiles at a character in a dress.

The Duskbloods releasing solely for the Nintendo Switch 2 may be another saga in FromSoftware's performance woes. The game's lone trailer already shows graphics that are a noticeable step back from those in Elden Ring and Nightreign, but Nintendo's hardware doesn't have an exceptional track record with third-party titles. By all s, the Switch 2 is impressive for its form factor, but there are already some reported technical hiccups, like Donkey Kong Bananza having performance hitches in early gameplay footage.

There's also the issue of the Switch 2 being relatively new hardware, even by the time The Duskbloods releases sometime in 2026. Generally speaking, games released at the beginning of a console's lifespan tend to perform worse than those near the end, simply because the developers haven't had as much experiencing optimizating for that specific platform. This could be exacerbated by the fact that FromSoftware doesn't have much Switch experience. The Dark Souls Remastered Switch port was handled by Virtuos, and it remains to be seen how the Switch 2 version of Elden Ring fares.

Virtuos also developed the recently released Oblivion Remastered, and is involved in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.

I'm hoping for the best, but it's a perfect storm for The Duskbloods likely to have performance issues when it comes out. The struggles haven't so far affected my experience with Elden Ring Nightreign, so I suppose that's the best I can hope for next year. Aside from a couple of first-party Nintendo exclusives, The Duskbloods is my most anticipated Switch 2 game, and it would be unfortunate if its chances at success were hindered by performance issues.

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    The Duskbloods
    Action
    Released
    2026
    Developer(s)
    FromSoftware
    Publisher(s)
    FromSoftware
    Multiplayer
    Online Multiplayer
    Number of Players
    1-8 players

    ​FromSoftware's title, The Duskbloods, immerses players in a gothic, steampunk-inspired world teeming with vampiric lore and atmospheric dread. As "Duskbloods," individuals endowed with supernatural abilities, players engage in a PvPvE experience, navigating treacherous environments and confronting formidable adversaries. The game s up to eight players, fostering dynamic interactions and strategic alliances. Exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2, The Duskbloods is slated for a 2026 release.

    Platform(s)
    Nintendo Switch 2
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    8 Images
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    Elden Ring Nightreign
    Action RPG
    Soulslike
    Roguelite
    Systems
    PC-1
    9/10
    4.5/10
    Released
    May 30, 2025
    Developer(s)
    From Software
    Publisher(s)
    Bandai Namco Entertainment, From Software
    Multiplayer
    Online Co-Op
    Number of Players
    1-3
    Steam Deck Compatibility
    Unknown
    PC Release Date
    May 30, 2025

    FromSoftware has announced Elden Ring: Nightreign, a standalone multiplayer game set in Limgrave, a region of the Lands Between.

    Platform(s)
    PC