The past few years have been a whirlwind for FromSoftware, and a lot of this can be chalked up to the Elden Ring franchise, which has recently expanded to include Elden Ring Nightreign. The cooperative multiplayer roguelike has garnered a lot of attention from Elden Ring fans and non-fans alike, and not all of it has been positive. Indeed, much like Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Elden Ring Nightreign proved to be surprisingly contentious upon release.

Granted, Nightreign and Shadow of the Erdtree were still critically acclaimed, but each had a smattering of lower-than-expected scores, coupled with higher-than-expected critical feedback from audiences. These scenarios are a far cry from the days of the Elden Ring's launch, when it felt like FromSoftware had definitively achieved mainstream status and was being almost universally praised. If one didn't know any better, they might argue that FromSoftware peaked with Elden Ring, and the relatively worse receptions of Nightreign and the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC are signs of the developer's steady decline. But there are a number of reasons to reject such notions, chief among them being each game's startling commercial success.

Elden Ring Nightreign’s DLC Will Have as High of a Bar to Clear as the Base Game
Elden Ring Nightreign’s DLC Will Have as High of a Bar to Clear as the Base Game

While DLC for Elden Ring Nightreign sounds like an obvious move, it invites comparisons to Shadow of the Erdtree as well as Elden Ring.

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Elden Ring Nightreign and Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree Sold Gangbusters

  • Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree sales: over 10-million units
  • Elden Ring Nightreign sales: over 5-million units

In less than two months on the market, Elden Ring Nightreign has sold a whopping 5-million copies. Of course, this doesn't seem like a lot when compared to the approximately 13-million units sold of Elden Ring's base game during its first month, but there are some mitigating factors here. Most important to note is that Nightreign was not intended to be as successful or profitable as Elden Ring: it was made on a smaller budget, clearly identified as a spin-off rather than a sequel, and sold at a sub-premium price point. For such a relatively modest title, 5-million units in less than two months is commendable.

It's the same story with Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, which sold 10-million units in its first year. DLC sales are almost always less than base game sales, since one typically needs to own the base game to access the DLC: the pool of potential customers is smaller. Just like in the case of Nightreign, this may explain why Shadow of the Erdtree has sold roughly 10-million copies in its first year, while the Elden Ring base game sold about 20-million copies by this point in its lifetime.

Above all, one thing should be clear: Shadow of the Erdtree and Nightreign are commercial successes for FromSoftware and its partners. To put the aforementioned sales figures into perspective, it took Dark Souls 3 and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice four years each to surpass the 10-million units sold mark, so both SoTE and Nightreign are at the top of FromSoftware's bestsellers list. This is rather interesting, though, as it would seem audiences have more negative things to say about Nightreign and SoTE than, say, Sekiro, which is hardly ever criticized. At least, the likes of Sekiro and Dark Souls 3 are not as fervently derided on the internet.

As such, it would seem that the fog of negative publicity has done little to hamper Nightreign and Shadow of the Erdtree's popularity. Where exactly these games rank among the rest of FromSoftware's output is a complex subject, of course, but it's becoming clear that they are among the developer's greatest financial successes. This could lead to a fascinating sea change at FromSoft, as the company's most controversial games become its best-selling.

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9 /10

Elden Ring Nightreign
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Action RPG
Soulslike
Roguelite
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Systems
PlayStation-1 Xbox-1 PC-1
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Top Critic Avg: 80 /100 Critics Rec: 78%
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Released
May 30, 2025
Developer(s)
From Software
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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"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!"

Multiplayer
Online Co-Op
Number of Players
1-3
Steam Deck Compatibility
Unknown
PC Release Date
May 30, 2025
Xbox Series X|S Release Date
May 30, 2025
PS5 Release Date
May 30, 2025
Genre(s)
Action RPG, Soulslike, Roguelite