The Duskbloods Preview: Hands-On Impressions of FromSoftware's Switch 2 Game

FromSoftware's The Duskbloods is shaping up as a multiplayer-focused Switch 2 exclusive, with early hands-on impressions pointing to a complex, multi-phase structure rather than a straightforward competitive mode. The latest episode of The Game Informer Show centers on those impressions, with Marcus discussing how the studio's new project approaches multiplayer mayhem on Nintendo's upcoming platform.

The most notable detail so far is the game's structure. Rather than presenting multiplayer as a single-format mode, The Duskbloods appears to be built around multiple phases, suggesting matches or sessions that evolve over time. That approach fits with FromSoftware's history of layering tension, risk, and player interaction into its design, even when the studio moves outside its usual single-player action RPG format.

What is not yet clear is how closely The Duskbloods will resemble the Souls series in moment-to-moment play. The game comes from the same developer, but the early discussion around it emphasizes multiplayer systems first. That alone makes it stand out in FromSoftware's recent catalog, especially as a Nintendo platform exclusive. A Switch 2 release also signals that Nintendo is securing projects from major third-party studios early in the system's life.

The preview discussion does not frame The Duskbloods as a minor side project. The focus on hands-on impressions suggests a game with enough moving parts to require time with the build to understand how its systems connect. The phrase "multi-phase multiplayer mayhem" points to a design that likely depends on momentum shifts, changing objectives, or escalating stakes across a session.

That could make The Duskbloods one of the more unusual multiplayer games attached to the Switch 2 lineup. Nintendo hardware is typically associated with local party play, family-friendly online games, and first-party experiences. FromSoftware, by contrast, is associated with oppressive atmosphere, deliberate combat, and indirect forms of player interaction. Bringing those sensibilities into a dedicated multiplayer game could produce something distinct from both the studio's previous work and the platform's usual offerings.

The timing also matters. A new exclusive from a studio with FromSoftware's profile gives the Switch 2 an immediate point of interest among players who do not usually look to Nintendo systems for dark fantasy action. If The Duskbloods can translate the studio's taste for mystery and danger into a session-based multiplayer format, it may end up appealing to both longtime FromSoftware fans and players looking for a less conventional online game.

For now, the strongest takeaway is that The Duskbloods is not being described as a simple Souls-style adaptation for multiplayer. Early impressions point instead to a game built around its own structure, with phases and shifting action at the center of the experience. More detailed mechanics will need to wait, but the project already looks like one of the more curious additions to the Switch 2 slate.