Elden Ring Nightreign

Elden Ring Nightreign^[a] is a 2025 roguelike action role-playing game developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The game is a spin-off to Elden Ring, using many of its features and gameplay elements, and focuses on roguelike and cooperative mechanics. Players control Nightfarers on a quest to dispel the reign of night.

It was revealed at The Game Awards 2024, and was released for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on May 30, 2025. It received generally positive reviews and has sold 3.5 million units.^[1]

The game is set in a procedurally generated version of Limgrave, now named Limveld, the first open-world area of Elden Ring. While the game has a single-player mode, it is intended to be played cooperatively by teams of three players who collaborate over three in-game days to prepare for the final boss.^[2] Similar to battle royale games, Nightreign features a shrinking gameplay area which resets after players defeat the minor boss at the end of each in-game day.^[3]

Elden Ring Nightreign takes place in an alternate universe of the Lands Between. After the Shattering, a "primordial darkness" descended upon the Lands Between, plunging the realm with "Nightrain" a cataclysmic event that brings forth monstrous beings from other realms and perpetual rain. Eight beings of tremendous power known only by their monikers and their title of Nightlords rule over this ruined land. In an alternative version of the Limgrave region, dubbed "Limveld", the effects of said cataclysm are evident. The land shifts regularly to other dimensions and total chaos. As a result, Marika's religion has been essentially abandoned (save for the location of a few churches) and the people no longer pray to her or the Elden Ring. The Erdtree is absent from Limveld, its golden hue no longer visible. The Roundtable Hold, now dilapidated and in a state of disrepair, has become a safe haven for warriors dubbed "Nightfarers" who are summoned to end the perpetual Night and challenge the Nightlords.

While the game has a main story, there are also individual storylines for each of the eight playable Nightfarers.

The main story starts with the Wylder, the Nightfarer that specializes in the longsword, running from the darkness and eventually facing against Morgott the Fell Omen. Wylder then wakes up in the Roundtable Hold and is greeted by The Priestess. She tells the Wylder their goal to defeat to Nightlords and save Limveld. Here, the Wylder meets other Nightfarers such as Guardian, the bird-humanoid knight who uses the tall shield and halberd; Ironeye, an assassin that uses the bow; Raider, the pirate berserker from outside the Lands Between; Recluse, an isolated witch; and Executor, a mute who specializes in the katana. Along the journey, the Nightfarers may eventually find a magic pocket watch that belongs to the Priestess, who will then reveal herself as the dagger-wielding Duchess, another Nightfarer. Later, the Nightfarers will come across The Revenant, a Nightfarer who takes the form of a possessed doll who summons her dead family to fight in her stead.

After the Nightfarers defeat the Nightlord Gladius, the Nightfarers realize that threat of darkness still lingers over them, and that they must defeat more Nightlords. After defeating 4 Nightlords, the Roundtable Hold begins to falter and crumble as the Night grows stronger. The Priestess/Duchess says that the leader of the Nightlords has revealed himself: Heolstor the Nightlord. After defeating Heolstor, the player will receive the Night Rune and there are multiple endings depending on actions throughout the game.

• The Dawn. This is the default ending. The player will return to the Roundtable Hold and find a shriveled corpse. When presenting the corpse the Night Rune, all the Nightfarers turn to grace and return to their real bodies scatters across the Lands Between and beyond. The Lands Between return to its natural state, while a giant primordial being of darkness looks at the island and walks away into the ocean.
• The Endless Night. This is ending is achieved after completing all of the Remembrance quests for Ironeye and then defeating Heolster as Ironeye. When approaching the shriveled corpse in the Roundtable Hold, Ironeye will instead kill the corpse, condemning Limveld to eternal Night.
• The New Night. This is ending is achieved after completing all of the Remembrance quests for Wylder and then defeating Heolster as Wylder. Instead of approaching the shriveled corpse in the Roundtable Hold, Wylder would approach to corpse of Heolster and inject himself with a Larval Tear. Afterwards, Wylder will reincarnate as a new Nightlord and the cycle of Night continues again.
• The Night of Love. This is ending is achieved after completing all of the Remembrance quests for Recluse and then defeating Heolster as Recluse. Instead of approaching the shriveled corpse in the Roundtable Hold, Recluse would follow the sounds of a baby crying and find her child. She would then cradle her baby and the game ends, never knowing the conclusion.

Elden Ring Nightreign was developed by FromSoftware for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.^[2] Bandai Namco Entertainment registered the trademark for "Nightreign" on October 24, 2024,^[4] with it being revealed at The Game Awards 2024 in December. It is scheduled to be released on May 30, 2025.^[5] The first network test took place in February 2025 on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, with players able to register from January 10 to 20.^[6]

Nightreign is directed by Junya Ishizaki, who worked as a designer on Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Dark Souls III, and Elden Ring. Fantasy author George R. R. Martin, who wrote the backstory of Elden Ring, is not involved with Nightreign.^[7]

Elden Ring Nightreign received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic.^[8][9][10] OpenCritic determined that 77% of critics recommended the game.^[11]

Elden Ring Nightreign sold 2 million units within its first 24 hours from release,^[31] and 3.5 million within five days.^[32]

• Official website