The Duskbloods Playtest: Bigger Than Nightreign, But Dividing Players

FromSoftware's Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive vampire PvPvE game, The Duskbloods, just wrapped up its network playtest, and the numbers are staggering. According to one of the game's producers, the playtest surpassed even Elden Ring Nightreign's in popularity, signaling that fan appetite for FromSoftware's next title is enormous. Players were eager to get their hands on whatever the studio had cooking, and the turnout made that excitement impossible to ignore.

But raw participation numbers only tell part of the story. Hands-on impressions from journalists and players have been decidedly mixed, painting a picture of a game that is ambitious but difficult to parse. Kotaku's self-described Elden Ring devotee came away from ten hours of play genuinely worried the game simply isn't built for solo or PvP-averse players, while Destructoid admitted to going in skeptical and coming out the other side confused rather than converted. PC Gamer's writer, who had been suffering FOMO over the Switch 2 exclusive status, found that anxiety dissolve after playing, describing the experience as a "confusing mess" that clearly won't be for everyone. Still, not everything was bewilderment: the community has already rallied around a breakout fan favorite in Zork, an armored sea chicken character who, per Kotaku, drinks blood through his beak "like a mosquito," drawing unlikely comparisons to Ultraman. Whether The Duskbloods is a genre-defining hit or a niche curio, it has already proven one thing: people are paying very close attention.

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