FromSoftware sits comfortably as one of gaming’s most prestigious and consistently impressive developers, pushing the boundaries of the medium and constantly striving to one-up itself. 2024 was no different for the storied company, withElden Ring’sShadow of the ErdtreeDLC nabbing a GOTY nominationat The Game Awards, despite only being a DLC rather than a standalone game.
2024 also saw the reveal ofElden Ring Nightreign, a co-op-drivenElden Ringspin-off set to release sometime this year. This will no doubt be the studio’s greatest focus in 2025, but it could have a few additional surprises up its sleeve. After all, few could have predicted the reveal ofNightreignthis past December, so it seems like just about anything is possible forFromSoftwareover the course of these next twelve months.
Elden Ring Nightreign Is Coming In 2025
Elden Ring Nightreignpromises to be one of 2025’s most fascinating projects. Set in the region of Limveld, players will be tasked with defeating The Night Lord, either by themselves or with the help of two companions through online co-op. The game will be sold completely separately fromElden Ring—it won’t require players to own the base game, unlikeShadow of the Erdtree—and it won’t follow the typical formula of FromSoftware’s other action-RPGs: players will choose between eight characters, who can all be upgraded through what sounds like a traditional roguelike progression model.
All Playable Characters Confirmed for Elden Ring Nightreign So Far:
Players can register to take part inElden RingNightreign’s network test, which will begin in February.
FromSoftware May Share More News About Its Other Projects This Year
FromSoftware isn’t just working onElden Ring Nightreign. Speaking with Japanese outlet Game Watch, company president and resident game design auteur Hidetaka Miyazaki stated that the studio has “multiple projects in the works across a variety of genres.” Two major points should be derived from this statement:Nightreignis only part of what FromSoftware has planned for the next few years, and FromSoftware is working on games that it describes as belonging to different genres. Miyazaki would go on to say that some of these upcoming projects are directed by him, while others have different directors, further indicating a broad variety of unique FromSoftware experiences in the pipeline.
It’s already been revealed thatNightreignisn’t being directed by Miyazaki, so maybe one of the projects that he is helming will be revealed before the year draws to a close—it would certainly be a good way to capitalize on the presumed success ofNightreign. Plus,withNightreignhitting markets this year, FromSoftware will no doubt want to fill the hype void it leaves in its wake, so news about at least one of these mystery projects is a reasonable prospect.
The Dust Will Settle On Sony’s Majority Acquisition of FromSoftware’s Parent Company
One of the biggest gaming news stories of late 2024 was the possibility ofSony buying FromSoftware’s parent company Kadokawa, sounding alarm bells about platform exclusivity for future titles. Ultimately, a full acquisition of Kadokawa never came to fruition, but Sony did purchase a 10% stake in the company, making it the largest shareholder.
So, while Sony doesn’t have unilateral control over Kadokawa, it does have more authority in the company than before. It will no doubt wish to leverage this authority over the next few years, and 2025 could be host to the first signs of this newfound control. Audiences could gain more insight about what this majority acquisition will mean, like if it will result in more PlayStation-exclusive games from FromSoftware, or if the purchase will have a greater impact on Kadokawa’s other IP and entertainment ventures, like anime.
Elden Ring Nightreign
WHERE TO PLAY
“ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN is a standalone adventure within the ELDEN RING universe, crafted to offer players a new gaming experience by reimagining the game’s core design.Join forces with other players to take on the creeping night and the dangers within featuring 3-player co-op.Take command of uniquely skilled heroes, each possessing their own abilities and distinct flair.While individually formidable, their skills create powerful synergies when they unite as a team.Overcome a relentless environmental threat that sweeps through a land that changes between each game session and defeat the magnificent boss of that night!”
