Duskbloods hands-on previews arrive as FromSoftware's Switch 2 exclusive opens its network test on 21 August

FromSoftware's most unusual game in years is about to meet the public. The Duskbloods, the studio's first Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, opens its closed network test on 21 August — and with preview embargoes lifting, the first detailed hands-on impressions of the eight-player multiplayer title have landed.

Directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, the gothic PvPvE game casts players as Bloodsworn — vampiric hunters with distinct weapons and transformations — competing against each other and the environment in matches of up to eight players. It remains slated for a worldwide 2026 release, a date FromSoftware and publisher Nintendo have reaffirmed, though no specific day has been announced.

At a glance

• The closed network test runs from 21 to 24 August on Nintendo Switch 2, with pre-loads already live
• Matches support up to eight players in PvPvE scenarios, entered from a hub area
• Six Bloodsworn characters are playable in the test; more than ten are promised at launch
• Each Bloodsworn carries short- and long-range weapons plus unique special abilities
• The game is directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki and remains on track for a 2026 worldwide release

What the previews describe

Hands-on coverage describes a faster, stranger game than FromSoftware's Souls lineage. Players enter a hub area before dropping into online matches built around defeating a boss and completing shifting scenarios while rival Bloodsworn interfere.

Game Informer's preview calls it a dense and surprising take on the formula, with matches that reward both combat skill and opportunism.

Meet the Bloodsworn

Six characters are available in the network test, drawn from a launch roster of more than ten. They are deliberately theatrical: Albert pairs dual sabres with a submachine gun and blood-infused attacks; Bloodhand Jan swings a one-handed axe while spraying fire from his free hand; and Senator Samir Patres fences with a rapier, fires spectral birds, and can transform into a creature previewers compare to a Tyrannosaurus.

Each carries short- and long-range weapons alongside signature abilities — a clear break from the austere builds of Elden Ring.

Why this game matters for Nintendo

The Duskbloods is the most prominent third-party exclusive on Switch 2's 2026 slate, and Nintendo is treating it accordingly. A FromSoftware game built multiplayer-first is a gamble — the studio's reputation rests on meticulous single-player worlds — but it is precisely the kind of system-seller Nintendo needs as the console's second year takes shape.

Kadokawa, FromSoftware's parent company, confirmed the 2026 window in its financial reporting earlier this year and has not moved it since.

A test with real stakes

Network tests have become FromSoftware's standard rehearsal — Elden Ring ran one — but this one carries more weight than most. An eight-player PvPvE game lives or dies on matchmaking, balance and netcode, none of which can be proven in a trailer.

Footage of the game has already leaked ahead of the test, adding to the scrutiny.

What happens next

The closed test runs until 24 August, with selected players able to download the client now. FromSoftware typically follows its tests with balance notes and, eventually, a release date. With the 2026 window reaffirmed and the marketing machine now visibly turning, an autumn date announcement would surprise no one.