The Duskbloods is shaping up as one of FromSoftware’s most unusual projects. Built for Nintendo Switch 2, this PvPvE game combines character progression, shifting alliances, hostile creatures and a final player-versus-player showdown.
Recent previews and official information have clarified how its matches work. Here are 14 important details for players following this strange new multiplayer experiment.
1. It is a battle royale with Souls-like ingredients
Players choose one of the Bloodsworn and enter a large area filled with enemies, objectives and rival players. The goal is to earn as much Virtue as possible by exploring, defeating bosses, collecting items, completing tasks and deciding when cooperation is more useful than combat.
The structure resembles a compact single-player Souls adventure, except other human players are moving through the same world and can change the course of each match.
2. The field is reduced until three players remain
At two points during a match, players who have earned too little Virtue are removed. The final three are then taken to an arena for a decisive battle. Alliances end at this stage, leaving character development, collected resources and personal skill to determine the result.
3. Death is forgiving during the main stages
Dying before the final phase does not remove a player from the match. You respawn with your Virtue intact. In the concluding arena, death matters more, although each player apparently has three deaths to spend before being eliminated.
4. The cast is deliberately bizarre
The playable Bloodsworn are a memorable collection of outlandish designs. The roster includes a character named Zork, whose name alone gives a useful indication of the game’s eccentric tone.
5. Six characters will appear in the network test
The full game is planned to have ten playable characters, while six are available for the network test:
- Albert fights with twin sabers and a submachine gun, providing a relatively balanced option.
- Bloodhand Jan uses an axe and can project fire from his hand.
- Senator Samir Patres carries a rapier, summons ghost birds and can transform into a dinosaur.
- Trang Lanh wields a ring blade, turns invisible and calls forth a large snake.
- Sniper Layla combines daggers with a rifle, can become an insect swarm and produces a Gatling gun from her chest.
- Zork is a slow, heavily armoured fighter equipped with an electric cable, a speargun and missiles. He can even launch himself at targets.
6. Every character shares powerful movement and blood attacks
All six can sprint and leap high enough to clear buildings. When an enemy is staggered, a character can bite its neck to deal damage, recover some health and temporarily convert weaker enemies into allies.
7. Alliances can protect you from other players
During the first three phases, meeting another player can lead to a fight or a temporary pact. If the other player accepts an alliance, the two of you cannot damage one another. That protection disappears before the final confrontation, so choosing a powerful partner can create a dangerous rival later.
8. Duos Mode changes the team structure
Duos Mode pairs players for the entire match. Four teams of two compete, with one team removed during each round. Partners share the result and fight together in the final battle rather than facing one another.
9. Player kills can be useful without being permanent
Defeating another player does not immediately remove that person from the match. However, some quests reward aggression against rivals, making PvP a possible route to additional Virtue.
10. Kin provide persistent NPC support
Portals around the map can summon Kin, NPC companions who remain with the player for the rest of the match and grow stronger alongside them. Eight Kin appeared in the previews, including a singing monster that can suplex enemies, a fireball-casting mage, a cowgirl, a wolf and a character called Undead Marlowe.
11. Sigils turn objectives into quests
Each player begins with one equipped Sigil. It assigns an objective, such as killing a particular player or forming an alliance with them. Completing it awards a substantial amount of Virtue.
Additional activities appear across the map, including capturing locations, hunting specific players, defeating newly spawned bosses and finding concealed items. These objectives also reward Virtue.
12. Experience points and levels affect survival
Defeating enemies earns experience. As a character levels up, they can learn new abilities and gain more health. Developing your character is important because an under-levelled fighter may struggle against better-prepared opponents in the final phase.
13. Large maps can be reshaped by sudden events
Preview footage showed one sizeable map built around a town, church, cave network, ruins and a poison swamp. Two additional maps are planned for the launch rotation but have not been shown.
Dynamic events can alter the battlefield during a match. Examples include fire raining down, lightning that teleports players to new locations and a shooting star crashing into the environment. The characters’ powerful jumps also make the playable spaces feel particularly expansive.
14. Customisation, match length and matchmaking
Character clothing and appearance customisation were not included in the preview build and will not be part of the network test, but customising the Bloodsworn is planned.
A match is expected to last roughly 30 minutes, give or take. The game will also use a form of ranked matchmaking. Visible rankings may not be shown, but Hidektaki Miyazaki told IGN that frequent winners will generally be matched with other strong performers, helping less experienced players avoid repeatedly facing experts.
FromSoftware still intends to make single-player games
Miyazaki also said that the releases of Elden Ring Nightreign and The Duskbloods close together do not mean FromSoftware is abandoning single-player games. He described the timing as coincidental and said the team wanted to explore multiplayer. He also indicated that spending a long time making a multiplayer game can renew the desire to create another single-player experience.
No confirmed release date has been announced
The September 24 date shared was seemingly in error. For more gaming and arcade news, keep an eye on RETROCADE’s editorial coverage. Readers comparing different ways to play can also browse arcade machines or use the arcade machine buying guide.
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