FromSoftware Switch 2 Exclusive Has Been in Development…

According to a reliable leaker, FromSoftware's upcoming PvPvE Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive The Duskbloods has been in development since before Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice's release in 2019. The Duskbloods was first announced during the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal Direct back in April.

While FromSoftware's past action-RPGs have had online co-op capabilities, multiplayer has rarely been at the forefront of the experience. Elden Ring Nightreign broke that tradition when it launched earlier this year, delivering a fast-paced roguelike experience that focused on three-player online co-op. The Duskbloods looks ready to take this multiplayer-focused formula and expand on it, with it marking the first PvPvE experience to come from the developer.

Rumor: The Duskbloods Was Greenlit Before Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice's Launch

But according to a new rumor, The Duskbloods has been in development long before Elden Ring Nightreign's multiplayer mechanics ever reared their head. On November 23, FromSoftware reporter Ziostorm uploaded a YouTube video discussing recent news regarding the upcoming release of Elden Ring Nightreign's The Forsaken Hollows DLC. In the video, Ziostorm references a recent post from Giwin, a Chinese game journalist who's remembered in the FromSoftware community for leaking Elden Ring boss designs before the game's release.

Giwin's post (translated by Ziostorm) claims that FromSoftware is going to release two character trailers for Elden Ring Nightreign's new DLC classes and a final launch trailer for the DLC within the next week. After that, Giwin hopes that FromSoftware will begin to share more news about The Duskbloods, which they understand was originally greenlit before even the marketing for Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice had begun. This means that The Duskbloods could have been in development since early 2019.

According to Giwin, FromSoftware has also spent more time prototyping The Duskbloods' gameplay than any previous game in its catalog, and that the final product contains some "innovative" features that could inspire modern developers "just like Sekiro did." If The Duskbloods has indeed been in development since 2019, and it ends up sticking to its 2026 release window, then it would have the longest development cycle of any FromSoftware project, with Elden Ring reportedly taking around 5–6 years to develop, Bloodborne taking around 3–4, and each Dark Souls game allegedly taking between 2–4 years to make.

Of course, this is all based on a translation of one leaker's post, and fans should always take leaks with a pinch of salt. That said, FromSoftware has just released a character trailer for Elden Ring Nightreign's Scholar DLC class, so there may be some truth to this recent rumor.

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