For the primary couple of minutes, the trailer for Elden Ring Nightreign is… not precisely predictable, however actually comprehensible. It’s Elden Ring like we’ve by no means seen it earlier than, remixed and reassembled, however nonetheless unmistakably a return to The Lands Between. After which… is that The Anonymous King from Darkish Souls 3?
And then you definately rewind and pay nearer consideration. Sure, that is The Anonymous King from Darkish Souls 3, and he’s not the one boss from FromSoftware’s again catalogue making a comeback. One other rewind and one other nearer inspection reveals that pleasant NPCs from Darkish Souls have additionally arrived on the planet of Elden Ring. Not solely that, however even gameplay mechanics from throughout the developer’s portfolio of labor have discovered their means into this upcoming co-op roguelite. And so there’s one query that burns brighter than another:
Is Elden Ring Nightreign introducing a FromSoftware multiverse?
The Anonymous King is among the most ruthless opponents in Darkish Souls 3. He’s a vital determine within the collection’ lore, having first been detailed within the unique Darkish Souls and its sequel earlier than lastly showing within the flesh as an elective boss within the remaining a part of the trilogy. He’s identified for his imposing dragon mount and skill to channel lightning, each of that are seen within the remaining minute of Nightreign’s trailer. There’s no mistaking him: this isn’t a tribute, homage, or lookalike: The Anonymous King is a foe within the subsequent Elden Ring recreation.
If seeing wasn’t believing, the official Darkish Souls social media channels have confirmed that parts of the collection will seem in Nightreign, albeit in a characteristically cryptic method. “Within the Evening, ancestral foes await – remnants of a hearth that after burned brilliant,” reads the submit on X, which accompanies a repost of the Nightreign trailer.
Within the Evening, ancestral foes await – remnants of a hearth that after burned brilliant.#ELDENRING #NIGHTREIGN launches on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC Digital in 2025. https://t.co/TyPLQabumO
— Darkish Souls (@DarkSoulsGame) December 13, 2024
The 2 collection are undoubtedly being linked, then. And so different acquainted creatures start to make a lot of sense. Two additional Darkish Souls enemies might be noticed amongst Bandai Namco’s advertising supplies. One minute and 22 seconds into the trailer, we see a workforce of warriors battling with a grotesque, multi-limbed beast, its uncovered ribcage set aflame by a participant’s explosive bolt. Longterm followers will immediately recognise this foe because the Centipede Demon from the unique Darkish Souls, albeit with a vital graphical facelift.
Simply a few seconds earlier there’s a shot of a crawling spider that evokes the arachnid-infested areas of Darkish Souls 2. However the golden proof of Darkish Souls 2’s involvement might be present in a screenshot launched alongside the trailer, which straight up reveals that The Duke’s Expensive Freja, a colossal eight-legged nightmare, will make an look in Nightreign.
That’s a boss from every recreation within the Darkish Souls trilogy, then. However there’s extra proof to counsel that it is not simply the enemies of FromSoft’s flagship collection which have discovered their means into Elden Ring. On the trailer’s mid-point we’re launched to a lady who wears an ornate steel face masks over her eyes and nostril – the unmistakable apparel of Darkish Souls 3’s Fireplace Keeper. Now, I’ve to confess that this character’s voice doesn’t sound like a precise match to the unique character. However actors are usually not at all times accessible to reprise outdated roles, and – alongside all the opposite proof – it doesn’t appear a stretch to counsel our outdated Firelink Shrine companion could also be a large a part of Nightreign’s story.
Mechanical Mixup
Returning associates and foes are the apparent factor to get enthusiastic about, however there are smaller, doubtlessly extra impactful gameplay parts seen within the trailer that additionally level to one thing of an overlapping multiverse impact. Relatively than permitting you to create your individual character, Nightreign asks you to step into the footwear of a pre-defined hero with their very own distinctive skillset. Of those revealed up to now, Duchess and Wylder are of essentially the most curiosity. Duchess’ exquisitely tailor-made outfit instantly brings Bloodborne to thoughts. Whereas I’m not but satisfied by fan theories that that is an alternate model of Woman Maria, I’m excited by her quickstep capability, which replicates the dodge mechanic of FromSoft’s beloved Lovecraftian nightmare. Wylder, in the meantime, has entry to a grappling hook that replicates among the utility of Sekiro’s personal prosthetic software.
It’s exhausting to assert these parts are multiversal in the identical means because the literal look of outdated bosses, nevertheless it’s fascinating nonetheless to see these parts bleed into Elden Ring. Afterall, the distinctive gameplay flavours of every FromSoft recreation are as essential because the bosses. Additional, non-character-specific mechanics embrace the flexibility to clamber up partitions akin to the hero of Sekrio, being carried by a spectral fowl from one location to a different in a method just like the Large Crow experience in Darkish Souls, and what actually does appear to be a medieval fantasy model of Bloodborne’s Stake Driver connected to Wylder’s arm throughout the battle towards the Centipede Demon. As a long-time FromSoft fan, it’s exhausting to not be enthusiastic about all this.
The Regulation of Lore
As with something FromSoftware creates, there’s a pure urgency to need to know the way every little thing matches into the lore. There’s solely a lot to know at this very early stage, however our personal interview with recreation director Junya Ishizaki a minimum of provides us a start line for theories.
“We might like followers to consider Nightreign as an Elden Ring spin-off, before everything,” Ishizaki defined. “The story is totally separate and parallel to the world of Elden Ring’s. In case you needed to tie it in a roundabout way, we had the occasions of the shattering within the unique recreation. After the occasions of the shattering, that is a fully separate department of the Elden Ring story.”
So Nightreign is a separate timeline. Submit the shattering, something might have occurred on this model of Elden Ring’s historical past. However it doesn’t matter what type of story is written on this world’s personal warped historical past books, the top result’s the reign of the Evening Lord – this new recreation’s final foe.
In case you really feel such as you’ve heard that title earlier than, it’s in all probability since you’ve both learn loads of merchandise descriptions in Elden Ring or watched VaatiVidya’s lore video about the Nox. Within the curiosity of time, listed here are your CliffsNotes: the Nox are the individuals you encounter within the underground Everlasting Cities of Nokron and Nokstella, the place they – in response to in-game descriptions – “dwell below a false evening sky, in everlasting anticipation of their liege. Of the approaching age of the celebrities. And their Lord of Evening.”
Lord of Evening. Evening Lord. Might or not it’s that Elden Ring Nightreign depicts a timeline wherein the age of stars has arrived and the Lord of Evening has risen? In that case, the Nox are the keepers of the mimic tear – are the issues we see mimics of issues from different worlds?
Somewhat extra theorycraft suggests an alternate choice. That submit on the Darkish Souls X feed spoke of “remnants of a hearth that after burned brilliant.” That appears to be a reference to The First Flame, which may very well be extinguished within the finale of Darkish Souls 3. Are the Centipede Demon, Duke’s Expensive Freja, and The Anonymous King “remnants” of The First Flame?
Whereas we’re having enjoyable, we all know that the extinguishing of The First Flame is only one of a number of endings to Darkish Souls 3 – endings that every one, theoretically talking, would produce their very own timeline. Might or not it’s that this alternate timeline for Elden Ring, dominated over by the Lord of Evening, has merged with The Finish of Fireplace timeline of Darkish Souls? Solely time will inform if the lore actually is so deep and thoroughly-plotted, and if this actually is the beginning of a FromSoft multiverse… or if Nightreign is simply FromSoftware letting free and having a little bit of enjoyable. My cash is on the latter.
Again in 2019, Elden Ring’s director Hidetaka Miyazaki stated that he was considering making a battle royale recreation. 5 years later we now have an Elden Ring multiplayer roguelike that options what seems to be a shrinking circle of loss of life. However who might have guessed that, on the day FromSoft introduced a recreation with battle royale parts, that the factor we’d be obsessing over was the return of a gargantuan bastard from Darkish Souls 3? One factor is evident: you possibly can rely on FromSoft to constantly shock us.
Matt Purslow is IGN’s Senior Options Editor.