Elden Ring Nightreign: Release Date Revealed

Elden Ring Nightreign is set to launch on May 30, 2025, priced at $40, and will be available across multiple platforms including PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. This confirmation comes from publisher Bandai Namco, ahead of the Elden Ring Nightreign network test scheduled for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S from February 14 to February 17. Note that the network test will not be accessible throughout the entire duration but rather during five specific three-hour windows.

Elden Ring Nightreign network test session timings:

February 14: 3am-6am PT / 6am-9am ET
February 14: 7pm-10pm PT / 10pm-1am ET
February 15: 11am-2pm PT / 2pm-5pm ET
February 16: 3am-6am PT / 6am-9am ET
February 16: 7pm-10pm PT / 10pm-1am ET

Bandai Namco describes the network test as a "preliminary verification test in which the selected testers play a portion of the game prior to the full game launch." This test aims to evaluate the online system's functionality and performance, and Bandai Namco is eager for participants' cooperation to enhance Elden Ring Nightreign.

Elden Ring Nightreign, FromSoftware's standalone co-operative spin-off, is set in a world parallel to that of the original Elden Ring from 2022. The network test will allow three players to team up as Nightfarers, battling new terrors and exploring an ever-changing map to take on increasingly challenging bosses, culminating in a confrontation with the Nightlord. The test features a three-day-and-night cycle that squads must survive.

Here's the official description:

The all-new adventure in Elden Ring Nightreign begins at the Roundtable Hold, set in a universe parallel to the events of Elden Ring. Players must choose from eight unique characters, each with their own abilities and powerful Ultimates. Their journeys take them to Limveld, an ever-changing environment, where they will have to make split-second decisions when it comes to combat and exploration in the face of a night cycle that shrinks the map with the coming Night’s Tide.

At the end of each night, players will face a powerful boss and, if victorious, awaken to bigger challenges. Each session will culminate in the third night when they must face off against the chosen Nightlord. Individuals can fight the night alone, but strength will come in numbers. Nightfarers must learn to cooperate to take down these challenges, combining their unique abilities together for an unparalleled experience. All is not lost for those who fall in defeat. Unsuccessful runs will grant players relics to allow them to customize and upgrade their characters tailored to their personal play styles.

Elden Ring Nightreign is unlike any experience created before by FromSoftware, Inc. In this condensed action RPG, players will never experience the same journey twice as enemies, rewards, and Limveld itself are ever-shifting and evolving with each new session. Defeating greater enemies and venturing into the more dangerous parts of the map will uncover more powerful weapons and greater Rune rewards. Finding Sites of Grace gives each hero a chance to level up and gain crucial power. With each session-based adventure being akin to playing through an open-air dungeon, every journey provides an opportunity to grow lasting stat bonuses. Successful runs against the night bring players ever closer to defeating the Nightlord and unraveling the story behind each Nightfarer in this parallel world.

Last year, IGN had the chance to visit FromSoftware and experience an early build of Elden Ring Nightreign firsthand. We were impressed, noting that Elden Ring Nightreign "takes the cautious dungeon crawls of Elden Ring and turbocharges them into propulsive, slash 'n' dash speedruns."

For more insights, check out IGN's interview with game director Junya Ishizaki on Elden Ring Nightreign.