Elden Ring Developer FromSoftware Announces New Game, But There's A Catch

After first revealing it back in January 2025, Nintendo finally did a full-scale presentation for its upcoming Switch 2 console on April 2. In addition to announcing the release date, pricing, and all kinds of details about the system's hardware, controllers, and interface, a number of new games were also unveiled that players can look forward to experiencing on the new console in 2025 and beyond. While those games obviously include several first-party Nintendo titles, there are also a number of third-party games heading to the console after it launches on June 5 — including one huge surprise that nobody saw coming.

FromSoftware, the developer that has made a name for itself over the past 15 years with its acclaimed Soulslike games — which feature similar gameplay mechanics to the studio's "Demon's Souls" and "Dark Souls" titles — revealed that it had a Switch 2-exclusive game in the works. Titled "The Duskbloods," the game has similar aesthetics to FromSoft's "Bloodborne," only more steampunk and with what appears to be a heavy focus on vampiric enemies. 

Longtime FromSoft fans are always chomping at the bit for a new release from the team, especially another Soulslike entry, but today's announcement has left many of them wishing that "The Duskbloods" was being released for PC and/or one of the consoles that are typically home to the subgenre. Moreover, there is much speculation as to whether the Switch 2 is going to be powerful enough to give the game the graphical fidelity that FromSoft fans have come to expect. 

As mentioned, "The Duskbloods" is at this point exclusive to the Switch 2 console. As surprising as it is for there to be a Nintendo-exclusive FromSoft game, "The Duskbloods" is even more significant due to the fact that FromSoft hasn't released any of its Soulslike games for any Nintendo consoles up to this point — not the original Switch, the Wii U, or the Wii, all the consoles that have come and gone since the subgenre has existed. So this release is a big deal indeed.

Another major caveat to note about the announcement of "The Duskbloods" is that it's a multiplayer-focused title. While Soulslike games have had very limited co-op multiplayer options in the past, this will mark the first time that a Soulslike title is being created from the ground up to be a co-op multiplayer experience.

Considering that many FromSoft fans specifically appreciate the studio's continued dedication to single-player games within an industry that increasingly moves in an online multiplayer-heavy direction, it's somewhat bittersweet to learn that a new FromSoft game — and especially the first to be exclusive to a Nintendo console — will be built around a multiplayer experience. 

The arrival of "The Duskbloods" wasn't the only FromSoftware-related Switch 2 Nintendo Direct announcement. It was also revealed that "Elden Ring," the highly acclaimed 2022 release from the company that thus far has only been available on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, is getting a Switch 2 version. Very little is known about it at this point, other than that it's called "Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition" and contains everything included in the original game's "Erdtree" expansion pack, along with the promise of all-new weapons, items, and cosmetic options.

Considering that "Elden Ring" was named 2022's game of the year by over 300 different publications, media outlets, and award shows, it's indeed a pretty huge score for Switch 2 to get its own version of the game. It's also just nice to know that the Switch 2 will be getting at least one traditional Soulslike game — even if it's not a brand new one — and that Nintendo gamers don't have to settle for a multiplayer-focused FromSoft game to finally see what the fuss has been about with this developer and its games over the last decade and a half.