How to Nightreign Release and Network Test: What you really need to know.

Last updated on November 18th, 2025 at 12:51 pm

Come, I would tell a lie, when FromSoftware announced a spin-off of Elden Ring, that is a co-op, I thought that like it is another cash grab type of multiplayer experiment. At that point I began to research the nature of Nightreign, and… it is strange. In a good way, mostly.

This is what I discovered after several weeks of research, viewing gameplay and one of the players talking about the game since releasing May 30, 2025.

Table of Contents

What Is Nightreign, Really?

You can forget everything you know about the open world of Elden Ring. Nightreign takes away all the clothes of this – you is not wandering the Lands Between anymore. Rather, you are introduced into randomized three-day missions where you and a pair of other gamers are chased down by a growing circle (yes, battle royale style) to last and kill one of the Nightlord bosses.

Each run takes about 30 minutes. You start out with minimal equipment, grab arms and loot, grind to the top, and hope not to be killed by the last boss in the process. If you fail? No big deal. You die and reappear at the Roundtable Hold with your relics and you should do it again.

It is not so much of an epics fantasy adventure, but a roguelike survival dash. And honestly? That is what is interesting about that.

The Stuff that Actually Works.

The movement is crazy good. FromSoftware made no damage to falls, and introduced wall jumps, gliding hawks, and spirit streams, which take you high in the air. I have seen players do parkour in the midst of a fight where the base game never had the option. It alters the whole thing, more so when you are accustomed to Torrent as a way of escape.

Co-op isn’t a pain anymore. Being reminded of stumbling over the golden effigies and calling on the signs in Elden Ring? Gone. You only have to wait in the center and matchmaking does the rest. It feels far too smooth as compared to the friction in the multiplayer of the original game.

Relic system is something monotonous. Relics are unplayable bonuses, which accumulate between runs. Increasing rarity of higher effects. The intelligent players that I have observed do not simply equip the random relics but create synergies. With the help of relics of stack runs on all of your team, you will level much faster. Damage buffs + bleed weapons and the bosses are melee.

The Learning Curve Is Real

This is the trick with Nightreign: he does not hold your hand. Minimal levels required before the first and second bosses of the night is level 5 and 10 respectively. Want to miss that window and you are being destroyed. Routing is important, when you arrive at the churches early, upgrade your flask, and when it is difficult, your gear, and when you are with your team and you do not get left out.

The composition of the team is a bigger issue than you would think. The finest teams I have observed have used such formations as Raider (tank), Ironeye (ranged DPS), and Duchess (support with ability copying capacity). It is a bad idea to enter three random damages dealers against Nightlords.

And when it comes to status effects, bleed, poison, scarlet rot, they are sovereign here. What you want is a bleed weapon early and you will have a much easy time.

What’s Changed Since Launch

It is something FromSoftware has been updating. Patch 1.02.3 fixed the weapon balance of a bunch of weapons, increased the power of dash attacks, and adjusted the relic effects. They also accompanied assured events at specific times to ensure that you are not wandering aimlessly.

The big addition? Deep of Night mode was released in September – a very rough and tough challenge mode designed to players who completed standard expeditions. Exposure to Depths Relics creates potent impact effects as well as unattractive negative implications, and steps of challenges that increase infinitely. Level 4 and 5 are level 4 and 5 of those who actually despise themselves.

What’s Coming Next

The Forsaken Hollows DLC is available December 4, 2025. New characters (Scholar and Undertaker), new bosses of the Nightlord, a new location known as The Great Hollow and new weapons and spells. You can get free with Deluxe or Collector’s Edition but have to pay DLC.

Should You Even Bother?

Nightreign may be empty, if you liked the approach of Elden Ring where exploration was methodical and the focus of the story was the lore. It’s not trying to be that game.

However, are you in need of fast repeatable runs with your friends, where you optimize your build and test crazy team combinations? This hits different. There are no microtransactions, no live-service garbage, just a full-fledged game, and it doesn’t waste your time.

You can go alone offline by your choice, enemy health will even reduce to compensate. Nevertheless, Nightreign is more shiney in co-op. The confusion of three players playing (or unable to play) as a team against a Nightlord as the map closes in on them? That is where the magic occurs.

It’s not perfect. The challenge spikes may be unfair when you are not familiar with the systems. Random matchmaking in teams is by chance. And when you are buying Elden ring 2 at the same time you will be disappointed.

Nightreign however does the job, but it is a peculiar, obsessive, repeatable variation on the formula that FromSoftware uses. That is, just do not walk in to expect the next Lands Between. This is otherwise altogether.