🎮 Elden Ring: Nightreign Drops Like a Meteor — And Mostly Sticks the Landing

Elden Ring: Nightreign review

FromSoftware is back—and this time, they’ve ditched sprawling open-world solemnity for something sharper, smaller, and surprisingly social. Welcome to Elden Ring: Nightreign.

Released on May 30, this standalone roguelike spinoff from the Elden Ring universe reimagines the Lands Between as a time-limited co-op gauntlet. No custom Tarnished, no wandering aimlessly across mountaintops. Just eight prebuilt “Nightfarers,” three in-game days to survive, and a team of strangers (or friends, if you’re lucky) to conquer the darkness with.

Launch Numbers: Big Bite, Big Crowd

From day one, Nightreign flexed its franchise muscle:

• 2 million copies sold in 24 hours
• 3.5 million within five days
• Over 300,000 concurrent players on Steam at peak, making it the second-biggest FromSoftware PC launch—just behind the original Elden Ring.

Not bad for a game many assumed was just a side project.

Gameplay: Roguelike Soulsborne with a Shot of Destiny

Imagine Dark Souls got drunk with Hades and woke up next to Left 4 Dead. That’s Nightreign. Fast-paced dungeon runs, class-based builds, a dynamic day-night cycle, and procedural boss layouts—all tied together in a tight, co-op-first format.

Matches are limited to three in-game days and nights, adding a compelling sense of urgency.
Die? Try again. Win? Bragging rights (and lore crumbs) await.

Elden Ring: Nightreign review – Critics Cautiously Enthusiastic, Players Warming Up

Critics:

• Holding a 78/100 Metacritic average
• Praise for bold design shift and replay value
• Criticism for lack of environment variety and limited matchmaking options—especially the absence of a duos mode

Players:

• Steam reviews launched as “Mixed”
• Now climbing to “Mostly Positive” after a critical Day 3 patch

Common player feedback:

“Combat slaps. Bosses rule. Solo is brutal. Please, let me play with just one friend.”

Good news: FromSoftware has confirmed duos mode is in development.

Patching the Night

A major patch hit within 72 hours of launch, addressing:

• Solo difficulty tuning
• Matchmaking improvements
• Enemy spawn balance
• Leveling tweaks
• Auto-revive adjustments

The impact? A clear shift in online sentiment—from frustration to cautious optimism.

Verdict: Not Elden Ring 2—But It’s Something Bold

Nightreign isn’t here to dethrone Elden Ring. It’s not trying to. Instead, it’s a concentrated experiment in what the Souls formula can become when it stops brooding and starts sprinting.

For fans of roguelikes, co-op chaos, or just good combat design—it’s already a hit.
For traditionalists? Give it a patch or two and see if it grows on you.

Either way, FromSoft took a risk—and it’s paying off.

Elden Ring: Nightreign is available now on PC, PS4/PS5, Xbox One, and Series X/S.

Let Newsfangled know in the comments:

Is Nightreign the future of the Soulsborne formula—or just a fascinating detour?