Nintendo recently just had a Nintendo Direct presentation this week. I’m sure you all probably caught it live, if not shortly after the presentation wrapped up you went to view the trailers. This was a big one, focusing on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. During the presentation, we got some hardware news and video game reveals. One of the exclusives heading to the Nintendo Switch 2 came from the folks at FromSoftware. Today, we’re learning a little more about The Duskbloods from its director.
FromSoftware is a big name, and most probably didn’t anticipate an exclusive release from this studio on the Nintendo Switch 2. However, that’s what we are getting with The Duskbloods. The initial trailer looked appealing and gave off the typical FromSoftware vibes. Now speaking directly to Nintendo, FromSoftware’s Hidetaka Miyazaki opened up a little more about this upcoming game.
A while back, we had the opportunity to meet with Nintendo to discuss ideas, and during this discussion, we presented a rough outline for The Duskbloods.
It was still very bare-bones at the time—more a loose string of ideas than a proper presentation. The concept itself was different from anything we had done before, and Nintendo seemed very interested in helping make it a reality. So that’s when the project kicked off.
At first it was being worked on by a small team as a title for Nintendo Switch. However just as the game started to take shape, we were approached by Nintendo with talk of Switch 2, which led us to revamp our development path with this new hardware in mind.
The new hardware’s focus on online features allowed us to stay as true to the original vision as possible, which was very good news for us. – Hidetaka Miyazaki
Taking to the official Nintendo website, Miyazaki revealed that this project came to fruition apparently a good while ago. That’s because this project was initially developed for the original Nintendo Switch. However, Nintendo returned to them and presented their Nintendo Switch 2, which transitioned this game to an exclusive for the new upcoming console.
The game’s protagonists, or characters controlled by the player, are known as “Bloodsworn.” The Bloodsworn are a group whose members have achieved super-human abilities through the power of special blood. As a general concept, they’re similar to vampires, but they are not portrayed as the horrifying monsters you might associate with traditional vampirism. – Hidetaka Miyazaki
It also apparently opened up more ideas for online gameplay. This is said to be a PvPvE title in which players essentially take the role of a vampire. The game director noted that players are taking the role of someone connected to the Bloodsworn, these are characters in the game who have unique blood, granting them super-human abilities.
There’s apparently a wide range of characters you can pick from, with each one getting a few customization options. While details are still a little scarce, we know that the game will have players step into online missions. Depending on the mission, you’ll either attempt to be the last man standing or complete a different objective like taking down a boss.
The game has a so-called “hub” area, where players can choose their character, customize them and enter online multiplayer*. Online multiplayer supports up to 8 players. Upon concluding an online match, players then return to the hub, at which point they receive some sort of reward whether they win or lose. Using these rewards, players can further customize their character, and so the cycle continues.
Online matches are generally last player standing, however there are certain cases where victory conditions differ. For example, players may be tasked with teaming up to take down a powerful boss enemy, or find themselves in other special circumstances. – Hidetaka Miyazaki
We have plenty of time ahead of us to learn more about The Duskbloods. It’s already gained quite a bit of attention from fans. However, the title won’t be ready for release until sometime in 2026. If you want to read the full interview with the game director, you can find it here on the Nintendo website. Meanwhile, if you’re just coming across The Duskbloods, check out its announcement trailer below.
