Before this past weekend, I had no idea exactly what FromSoftware’s The Duskbloods was. The initial reveal painted a picture of a PvPvE experience. The Nintendo Switch 2 having the newest game from Hidetaka Miyazaki that feels like a Bloodborne sequel is all I needed to see. And in the year since the initial reveal, it’s a game I’ve scoured the internet for in a bid to get some new information.
Nothing I’ve read could’ve prepared me for playing The Duskbloods, though, as it’s quickly become a title I’m eager to play and learn. And while this isn’t the first multiplayer game we’ve seen from the developers, I sense it might be the most ambitious yet, and yes, I’m including Elden Ring Nightreign.
Dancing In The Blood Moonlight
You play as a Bloodsworn, a vampire-like individual with impressive powers to take others just like you. In the closed network test, there were six playable characters, like Albert, who you see in many of the marketing materials, and the character you play as in the tutorial section before facing off against Jan in a stunning church location.
I spent around 10 hours playing the beta last weekend, and despite a rough start, it ended up being such a fun experience. I stuck with Albert for most of the test but played with Zork and Jan as well. Albert’s moveset and his sabre and machine gun combination ended up being so much fun to use against others, and honestly, he’s pretty versatile from the looks of it.
Every character is equipped with a melee and ranged weapon and plays differently from each other. Albert is a standout because he’s well-rounded for most instances and can deliver quick strikes. I also liked Zork because, in Elden Ring, I liked to troll players in the Omen Set by being a nuisance and rolling around in a heavy suit.
So how do you exactly play The Duskbloods? Well, it isn’t just playing against other players. In fact, it feels like there’s so much more to it, but with such a limit on play time for this closed session, I’m eager to dig in and get the full breadth of the experience later this year.
A full match includes eight Bloodsworn characters who begin at different points on the map. Instead of fighting each other, you’ll have to explore the map and complete various objectives to earn Virtue, which is a currency needed to make it through to the next round. In total, there are three rounds you’ll partake in, and each one lasts around 8 minutes. In the second round, you might need to seek out a miniboss and defeat it in battle or fight fodder enemies to earn a level up. Every enemy helps grow your experience level, and you’ll even unlock Kins, AI allies you can summon to help you take on bosses and other players.
Kins are one of the coolest things I experienced during my time with The Duskbloods. The first time I obtained a Kin via a summoning circle, I ended up with Baritone, a weird chap who uses music and singing to battle enemies but packs a punch. He’s easily the best Kin I had throughout my weekend with the beta because of how powerful his roar is. I ended up facing a boss that was no match for Baritone and Albert teaming up to deliver some swift justice for taking us on. Kins can also be summoned at will but have a cooldown, which means they’re limited and can temporarily die if they fall in battle.
Circling back to Virtue, you’ll continually collect it to ensure you stay in the next round. It can get tense when you’re notified of who is in first place and see you don’t have a lot of time left to gain Virtue, so you’ll need to pinpoint the nearest point of interest, which offers a lot of Virtue, to get ahead. You’ll also need to keep getting stronger, so you’ll be juggling several plates at all times.
Thankfully, you can work with other players to get ahead and essentially bottleneck others who may be going solo the entire match. When you face the Great Foes, which you’ll find throughout the levels offering a worthwhile challenge, these minibosses are nowhere near as tough as the Trespassers, which you can be summoned by other players to help join the fight against them. I fought a cavalry-focused boss which had four players taking it on. Those battles can be intense if you’re not prepared and well-equipped, and it was the second time I was summoned to help.
You can also earn Powers of Blood, like continuous HP recovery or raising your attack power, by defeating Great Foes and Trespassers. These are well worth unlocking as you can stack up to five of them.
If you’re lucky enough to survive the second and third phases, you’ll encounter Ritual Sites, which appear across the map and offer Virtue by defeating others who show up or by gathering the currency from bodies strewn about that have currency. This is a great alternative if you’re underpowered at this point in the match and need to catch up without risking too much health. However, others can rightfully steal the Ritual Site from you, so it’s best to keep close and be defensive.
At the end of each round, the Virtue adds up, and you’re given a commendation based on the number of kills and other things like items gained, so it’s worth keeping your eyes peeled for glowing items.
After 10 hours spent in the closed beta test, I can see FromSoftware’s vision, and I’m really enjoying its potential. I’ll admit the first hour is a bit overwhelming because so many mechanics are unfurled, but after a few hours, they begin to click and really make sense. The map the beta included felt great to explore, and it wasn’t overly massive, with just enough space to stay active and away from danger.
There’s still so much we don’t know about The Duskbloods, but what’s been shown and what I’ve played leave me feeling positive about the game’s future. I’m also looking forward to the narrative, which is supposedly there, but we know nothing about it.
The Duskbloods launches in 2026 for the Switch 2.
