FromSoftware's upcoming multiplayer game The Duskbloods reportedly began development in 2021 for the original Nintendo Switch console, years before the studio shifted the project to become a Switch 2 exclusive. According to game director Hidetaka Miyazaki, the studio struggled to get the game running on the older hardware, telling The Verge, "We were definitely very happy when we heard about the Switch 2, because we were thinking, 'How are we going to do this?' The Switch 2 came along and all of those problems were solved."
Miyazaki also credited Nintendo with providing significant support beyond hardware capabilities. He noted that Nintendo helped FromSoftware with onboarding and tutorials, an area he acknowledged the studio has "historically not been great at." Miyazaki called the collaboration "a great relationship," citing Nintendo's assistance with the game's new systems and rules, which required extensive fine-tuning.
Separately, in an interview with IGN, Miyazaki confirmed that The Duskbloods will use a skill-based, ranked matchmaking system designed to pair players of similar skill levels together, keeping newer players separate from more experienced ones. This approach places the game in the middle of an ongoing debate in multiplayer gaming, as similar systems in games like Call of Duty and Apex Legends have drawn criticism from players who find them overly punishing.
Miyazaki explained that even players who aren't winning matches will be able to unlock story content and character customization through gameplay, which he hopes will help draw players into the game's world before they focus on ranked competition. However, he stressed that the ranked matchmaking system may not be present at launch and could be introduced later, as the team is still evaluating how experimental systems—including the game's Sigil and Virtue points—are received during testing.
The director also discussed plans to build positive relationships between veteran and new players, suggesting ideas such as rare in-match events tied to player experience levels and an Alliance system that could let high-ranked players choose to help newcomers, comparing it to the message system in FromSoftware's other titles. Miyazaki said the goal is for veterans to feel they're contributing to newer players while newcomers feel welcomed rather than discouraged.
The Duskbloods is being developed as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, marking a departure from FromSoftware's typical single-player focus. Miyazaki has previously indicated the studio plans to return to single-player projects once The Duskbloods and Elden Ring: Nightreign are complete, describing the current multiplaer emphasis as coincidental rather than a permanent shift. A Closed Network Test for the game ran in phases from August 21 to 24.