"ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN," a cooperative survival action game born as a spin-off title of the masterpiece action RPG "ELDEN RING," which has surpassed 30 million cumulative worldwide shipments, is scheduled to be released on Friday, May 30, 2025, and an interview regarding its development with Junya Ishizaki of FromSoftware, who serves as the director, has been released.
The Struggle Between "FromSoftware's Distinct Style" and "Novelty"
While inheriting the core of the battle design from the main "ELDEN RING" game, the gameplay experience itself has been revamped, and he says there was a significant challenge in making major changes to the rules and structure.
He says he particularly struggled with how to balance "FromSoftware's distinct style" and "novelty," and in order to make a work worthy of the "ELDEN RING" name, instead of making changes without careful consideration, he carefully accumulated "changes that users would accept."
Even Revival is Done Through "Attack"!? Numerous Unique Systems
Multiplayer features 3-player cooperation, which he says is the result of considering the balance between the fun of strategic maneuvering and unpredictable developments.
He states that the playtime per session is set to be relatively long at approximately 40 minutes because they aimed for a satisfying gameplay feel by condensing an experience with varied pacing, including exploration, combat, and choices, into a single session.
Also, the noteworthy "revival through attack system" was conceived with a focus on "attacking" while utilizing existing "ELDEN RING" assets, and its visual interestingness was one of the deciding factors for its adoption.
The controls have also been significantly revised from the main game; healing is assigned to the Square button, and item selection is assigned to the directional buttons to accommodate fast-paced developments.
Sacred Flasks are exclusively for HP recovery, and by removing FP recovery, they decided to treat FP as a more special resource.
Furthermore, regarding the absence of armor elements, the intention is to highlight the fun of battles by concentrating awareness on offense and strategy rather than damage reduction.
The process of players figuring out how to clear the game is designed to be part of the enjoyment, but adjustments have been made to add randomness to boss attributes and behavior so that the same approach doesn't always work, making each experience different.
A system where effective attributes are visualized before sortieing has also been introduced, making strategic preparation more enjoyable.
Elements That Will Make "ELDEN RING" Fans Grin Too
The setting of this title, "Limgrave," is a parallel world separate from the main game, and while hidden elements of "ELDEN RING" will not be revealed, elements that will make players familiar with past works grin and a "what-if world" are scattered throughout.
Regarding user reactions from the network test, although they were surprised by the clear rate being higher than expected, they felt a strong positive response from users playing enthusiastically.
Based on those results, the maps, controls, and difficulty balance were reviewed, and improvements were made so that users can naturally understand things while playing.
Changes have also been made to the boss "Gladius," and a more refined experience is expected.
There are 8 playable characters, each derived from the build archetypes in "ELDEN RING" and roles found in sword and magic fantasy.
Among the characters not available in the network test, there are also characters whose motifs are drawn from "Ashes," and it seems you can enjoy tactical fighting styles using summons.
Also, "Relics" are elements that permanently strengthen the player, and even within the game design where you start from level 1, they not only help with clearing but also introduce changes to strategies.
Relics, which can be equipped up to 3, each have up to 3 effects and are designed to create diverse changes in playstyle through their combinations.
They are positioned differently from the Chalice Dungeons in "Bloodborne" in the sense that the goal is not to aim for ultimate stats, but to seek out your own best combination.
Comment from Junya Ishizaki of FromSoftware
PlayStation.BlogAs I mentioned at the beginning, this title is centered around battles, and it is a game style where you can enjoy those battles in various forms.
You can fully enjoy playing with friends or having a once-in-a-lifetime experience with strangers in what is known as "random match" play.
This is because even without excessive communication, you can confirm minimum intentions, which leads to clearing the game.
I sincerely hope you will play without hesitation.
Also, we are preparing character background scenarios little by little, so there is the enjoyment of delving into characters you are interested in, and including replayability elements like collecting Relics and skins, it has become a game with various ways to play.
Various elements have been added to the gameplay, which allows you to experience a rich sense of accomplishment, and I believe it has become a game worth playing, so if you would like to, I would be happy if you would give it a try.
Translated from Japanese.
"ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN" Releases on May 30! COLLECTOR’S EDITION with Luxurious Bonuses Also Available!
"ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN," which will be released on Friday, May 30, 2025, will be available in a Standard Edition as well as a "COLLECTOR’S EDITION" containing luxurious bonuses.
Physical Edition COLLECTOR’S EDITION
It is a complete limited edition packed with luxurious bonuses, and the retail price is 32,120 yen (tax included).
- Physical Edition Main game (PS5 or PS4)
- "The Tracker" Statue (approx. 25cm tall)
- Hardcover Art Book (40P)
- Additional DLC (Adds characters and bosses / Scheduled for distribution within FY 2025)
- Digital Soundtrack (App format / Product code provided)
- SteelBook
- Character Card Set
Digital DELUXE EDITION
In addition to the main game, the " DELUXE EDITION" is available, which includes a digital art book and more.
The retail price is 7,480 yen (tax included).
- Main game (Supports both PS5 / PS4)
- Additional DLC (Scheduled for distribution within FY 2025)
- Digital Art Book & Mini Soundtrack (App format)
Standard Edition
The retail price for both the Physical Edition and Digital Edition of the Standard Edition is 5,720 yen (tax included).
- Physical Edition (PS5 / PS4)
- Digital Edition (PS5 / PS4)
Pre-order Bonus: Gesture "It's Raining!"
As a pre-order bonus, the gesture "It's Raining!" that can be used in-game is included.
Let's take on new action in "ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN," finally releasing on Friday, May 30, 2025!
You can read the interview with Junya Ishizaki that was released on PlayStation.Blog, and find details about this title on the "ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN" official website.
