Elden Ring Nightreign: Why Boss Skins Like Artorias are a…

The wait for Elden Ring Nightreign is almost over, and fans everywhere are gearing up to tackle this remixed version of FromSoftware's most popular Soulslike. Mixing in roguelike and co-op elements is how this title intends to distinguish itself from Elden Ring, and it has already surprised players with how different it can be. Choosing between eight available Nightfarers at launch, Elden Ring Nightreign tasks players with defeating one of several Night Lords alone or in a trio. The two days leading up to that final confrontation are spent gaining levels and finding loot, building something new on the framework that Elden Ring pioneered.

All of that had been known about Nightreign since the time of its reveal, but FromSoftware and Bandai Namco have begun trickling more details out as the game closes in on its release. Each of Elden Ring Nightreign's playable Nightfarers comes with their own Remembrance questline that will reveal more about their personal history and what exactly is going on in the game's wider story. Other gradually unlocked things like character skins have also been shown off, and while one recently leaked detail about these cosmetics and their ties to iconic FromSoftware bosses has raised some fans’ eyebrows, it could ultimately be to Nightreign’s benefit.

elden ring nightreign most important post-launch addition

Elden Ring Nightreign's Most Important Post-Launch Addition is Already Clear

One highly-requested feature for Elden Ring Nightreign should be added to the game as soon as possible after its upcoming launch.

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By Ediz Guner

Boss Character Skins Are Coming To Elden Ring Nightreign

Various previews have revealed that among the fanservice-laden skins the Nightfarers can equip, which include Dark Souls crossover fan favorites like Solaire, are a few boss sets. The two that have been seen so far are Dark Souls 1’s titular Artorias of the Abyss DLC boss, and Sister Friede from Dark Souls 3’s Ashes of Ariandel DLC. Supposedly, these skins are exclusive to the Wylder and the Revenant, respectively, but how skins are divvied up in this system is still unclear. Regardless, it seems like at least eight well-regarded humanoid bosses from Elden Ring and Dark Souls will lend Nightreign their visages as unlockable skins.

Why Nightreign's Boss Cosmetics Are A Worrying Inclusion to Some

While that's fun to hear about, it does have some fans worried. If bosses are making it into Elden Ring Nightreign as costumes, there's a chance they won't appear as actual fights in gameplay. These cosmetics are evidence of that, even if the full picture isn't clear yet, and Elden Ring Nightreign will have some major holes in its content offering if this is the case. Knight Artorias is one of the most beloved bosses, characters, and designs from Dark Souls 1, while Sister Friede and Father Ariandel are iconically difficult Dark Souls 3 opponents, and denying players the chance to face these foes in Nightreign will be disappointing.

Elden Ring Nightreign's Boss Skins Likely Mean More Good Than Bad

Souls Bosses Tend To Reward Their Own Equipment Already

However, these fears of bosses going unfought are likely unfounded. FromSoftware is undoubtedly aware that players value these iconic enemies and would want to fight them again in a crossover setting, so these skins can be taken more as proof of these characters’ return than as their deconfirmations. Souls games typically offer boss equipment after the corresponding boss is defeated, either by transposing their Soul or equivalent item into a usable form, or simply putting their equipment up for sale. Most likely, Elden Ring Nightreign players will have to hunt down Artorias and Friede before they can dress as them.

Not to mention, these particular bosses are too obvious of additions to simply be wasted on skins. Artorias already has a fast, sweeping moveset, and he can partner with Sif for a multiplayer-suitable melee. Meanwhile, Sister Friede brings Father Ariandel in during her second phase, and can effectively serve as a single-target assassin while Ariandel rages across the battlefield. Whether their DLC status carries over into Nightreign's DLC or they make it into the base game, Elden Ring Nightreign's boss skins should be taken as a good sign for the game’s crossover content offering.

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