Elden Ring Nightreign Gameplay and Story

updated_at: May 15, 2025 02:33

published_at: December 12, 2024 20:40

Elden Ring: Nightreign
Release Date	Gameplay & Story	Pre-Order & DLC	Review

Elden Ring Nightreign is a three-player RPG where players join forces to confront the dangerous threats lurking in the world. Read on to learn how it plays, what it's about, and everything else we know so far.

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Elden Ring Nightreign Gameplay

Gameplay Overview

Elden Ring: Nightreign will be an online co-op survival action game, centered around surviving in a 3-man team over three days. Players will be able to choose from one of eight characters, called Nightfarers, all with set names, appearances, stats, skills, arts, and initial equipment. From there, they can choose to either work together with their team to avoid danger or go at it alone to focus on item hunting or leveling up, before regrouping.

The game will feature a day and night cycle, in which the areas you can explore shrink further and further. At the end of each day, as night sets in and crosses into midnight, players will have to survive and defeat boss monsters. When you finally defeat the last boss on the third day, your team will win.

The game will play very similarly to the original Elden Ring and Dark Souls games, focusing on difficult soulslike combat, the ability to cast spells, and the luxury of customizing the player's character freely. However, its three-player co-op functionality distinguishes itself from the mostly single-player experience of its predecessor. Similar to something like Monster Hunter, there will be fields that can be replayed, allowing players to learn boss patterns and become familiar with the best tactics to approach certain maps.

Director Junya Ishizaki refers to the game as a short RPG, with the goal of condensing the core elements of RPGs—such as exploration, character growth, and battles with powerful enemies—into a single session.

Nightfarers

Nightfarers begin at level 1 with each new session, equipped with weapons that suit their abilities, though players can change these weapons if desired. Each character has fixed initial equipment, skills, and arts, but players are allowed to customize them to suit their preferences. These Nightfarers also have unique names. Players will form a group of three Nightfarers, and the game focuses on cooperative play, with no PvP, as the objective is to work together to survive for three days.

Playable Nightfarers in Nightreign

The game will feature a total of 8 playable characters, each with unique abilities. Currently, only four characters have been officially revealed. Below is the list of confirmed characters so far.

Wylder

This all-rounder hero is a balanced knight skilled in both offense and defense. Their passive ability, Sixth Sense, allows them to cheat death once, granting a crucial second chance in battle.

The character skill, Claw Shot, lets them fire a grappling claw to pull enemies closer or quickly move by retracting to a targeted location.

Their ultimate ability, Onslaught Stake, is a powerful single strike that launches an iron stake, causing a large explosive impact on impact.

Guardian

The Tank is a character built for durability, featuring enhanced resistance to damage and specializing in delivering strong, heavy attacks. Their passive ability, Steel Guard, enables them to firmly plant their feet and brace with their shield against powerful incoming attacks. Their special ability, Whirlwind, allows them to unleash a spinning attack that can hit multiple enemies. The Tank’s ultimate skill, Wings of Salvation, is a powerful move that provides both offense and defense in critical moments.

Recluse

This magic-based hero specializes in ranged magical attacks, using elemental forces to control the battlefield from a distance.

Their passive ability, Elemental Defense, allows them to detect and gather affinity residues from the environment, which can be used to restore FP.

The character skill, Magic Cocktail, collects these residues from enemies and channels them into a powerful spell that exploits their elemental weaknesses.

Their ultimate art, Soulblood Song, unleashes a forbidden blood chant that marks nearby enemies with blood sigils, preparing them for devastating magical follow-ups.

Duchess

Duchess is a nimble fighter known for her swift attacks and exceptional poise. Her passive ability, Magnificent Poise, enhances her timing, allowing her to attack and dodge with precision, including the ability to dodge repeatedly when needed.

Her character skill, Restage, lets her recreate recent movements to strike and damage enemies nearby.

Her ultimate ability, Finale, cloaks herself and nearby allies in obscurity, rendering them hidden from enemies.

Raider

Raider is a battle-hardened Viking warrior who wields a massive axe, using brute force to overpower anyone who stands in his way. As a strength-based damage dealer, he excels in close combat and thrives under pressure.

His passive ability, Fighter’s Resolve, increases the power of his Retaliate skill each time he takes damage. While using Retaliate, he becomes immune to knockdowns, allowing him to maintain his stance in the heat of battle.

His character skill, Retaliate, puts him into an aggressive stance where he unleashes a relentless flurry of attacks. While in this stance, he also takes reduced damage. When enhanced, this ability is powerful enough to stagger even larger foes.

Raider’s ultimate art, Totem Stela, sees him drive a gravekeeper’s wedge into the ground, summoning a massive tombstone that signifies both his wrath and his dominion over the battlefield.

Ironeye

Ironeye is a swift and agile hunter who fights primarily with a bow and arrow. His first passive ability, Eagle Eye, allows him to spot additional loot from fallen enemies, making him especially effective at resource gathering.

His second passive, Marking Cut, enables him to strike enemies with a dagger, creating a temporary weak point that makes them more vulnerable to follow-up attacks.

Ironeye’s ultimate ability, Single Shot, unleashes a powerful arrow that travels faster than sound and pierces through any form of defense.

Revenant

Revenant is a summoner-class character who uses a mystical harp to call forth creatures and spirits to fight alongside her.

Executor

This character has not yet received a dedicated trailer, and limited information is currently available. However, they are briefly shown wielding a katana in the overview trailer. More details will be added as new information becomes available.

Weapons, Equipments, and Loot

Equipment in the game has been confirmed to originate from the Elden Ring base game but has been significantly enhanced. Many items are now more powerful; for example, the Flame Pot has an expanded explosion radius, giving it a grenade-like potential.

Weapons will have random stats and retain the combat techniques from Elden Ring but also feature additional effects, such as buffs that increase power or cut rates, and unique abilities like generating magic bullets while dashing.

Notably, these effects remain active even if the weapon is not equipped, as long as it is in your inventory. Moreover, these effects can be stacked for added versatility.

Loot is categorized by color-coded rarity, which helps players quickly identify the value and quality of items. The loot is randomized, with weapons’ stats based on the player's level.

The inventory system is simplified, allowing players to carry up to three weapons at a time. After defeating challenging enemies, players will have choices regarding the rewards they can receive.

Enemies

The enemies featured in the game during the day are from Elden Ring, and several bosses from Elden Ring will make a return. Additionally, players will encounter enemies from the Dark Souls series as well. The game will also have mid-bosses that grants you powerful items. Nightreign will feature a large pool of random bosses for each day.

Confirmed Bosses to Appear

Below are the list of some of the enemies confirmed to appear in Nightreign so far:

　⚫︎　Gladius
　⚫︎　Centipede Demon
　⚫︎　Tree Sentinel
　⚫︎　Magrit

Marks and Relics

Upon completing a session, players are rewarded with Marks, a currency that can only be used within the base, as well as Relics equipment. Ishizaki compares relics to Bloodstones from Bloodborne, noting that the effects of relics vary, ranging from simple stat boosts to enhancements of character skills, arts, and normal actions. The use of relics for customization can significantly influence and shape your playstyle.

Map

The game takes place in an alternate version of Limgrave, now called Limveld, shaped by the influence of the King of the Night. The map features expansive open fields, with bases, small dungeons, forts, towers, jails, ruins, and other objectives for players to discover and complete. These elements are randomly placed at the start of each session but remain fixed throughout that session.

Bases and dungeons are home to enemies and treasure chests. Defeating enemies rewards players with runes, which function as experience points for leveling up, while treasure chests contain weapons and items. The weapons in the game vary in stats and combat abilities, with these attributes being randomly assigned.

The Night's Tide or Ring of Reign is the shrinking field area, which gradually decreases over time. The rain determines the playable boundaries, adding a layer of tension and urgency to the gameplay.

Additionally, environmental events, such as meteor showers or volcanic eruptions, are confirmed to be part of the game, further enhancing the dynamic world.

In an interview with PC Gamer (Issue 405), director Junya Ishizaki revealed that the map undergoes large-scale changes to terrain, with procedurally generated volcanoes, swamps, and forests appearing dynamically.

Our goal was to make the map feel like a giant dungeon, Ishizaki explains. This way, players can explore and traverse it differently each time they play. By the end of the third day, you must choose which boss you want to face.

Day and Night Cycle

The game features a day and night cycle, with fixed daytime hours. According to Ishizaki, completing the third day will take approximately 40 minutes. Each day is divided into day and night phases, and as time progresses, the area available for exploration gradually shrinks. At night, a boss battle begins, serving as a pivotal event for the day. The game is completed by defeating the final boss that appears on the third day.

If players are defeated in a boss fight, they will be sent back to the base, called The Hidden Roundtable. Much like the base game Elden Ring, this serves as the main hub where players can interact with NPCs, access updates, use training grounds, and visit shops.

During the daytime, if a player's HP drops to zero, they enter a brink of death state. If they remain in this state for too long, they will die and respawn.

Allies can revive teammates on the brink of death by striking them with multiple attacks. There are various ways to perform rescues, such as using bows or magic to assist from a distance or utilizing area attacks to revive multiple allies simultaneously.

Multiplayer

Director Junya Ishizaki has confirmed that Elden Ring: Nightreign will support three-player co-op or single-player gameplay but will not include a duo option. Additionally, enemy HP will scale based on whether you're playing solo or with a full team of three.

The game will not support cross-platform play but will allow cross-generation play, enabling players on PS4 to team up with those on PS5, and Xbox One users to play with those on Xbox Series X/S.

Loose Communication

Nightreign Director Junya Ishizaki has revealed that the game will not feature traditional text chat or stamps for in-game communication. Instead, players will rely on pings and gestures to interact. Ishizaki explained that the team values loose communication, allowing players to engage with the game at their own pace.

However, players are welcome to use external voice chat if they prefer. The in-game ping system is designed to notify the entire party of a player’s intended movements on the map and to highlight items of interest.

Changes and Updates from Elden Ring

Nightreign introduces several changes and updates compared to the base game of Elden Ring. Characters now have more fluid movement, including the ability to wall-jump, allowing them to navigate steep terrain more easily.

Fall damage is no longer a concern. To replenish health and flasks, simply walk near a Site of Grace. Leveling up is streamlined, allowing players to quickly spend runes to auto-level based on their character’s base traits.

Elden Ring Nightreign Story Plot

Elden Ring: Nightreign takes players to Limveld, a parallel realm cloaked in darkness and danger. With the rise of the Nightlord threatening its delicate balance, players assume the roles of Nightfarers, each with their own distinct backstory and mission. Each character is assigned a unique name, such as Wylder and Guardian.

In Elden Ring: Nightreign, the narrative is conveyed through multiple character-specific questlines. Each playable character, referred to as a Nightfarer, has a unique storyline that is accessed through an expanded use of Remembrances—items previously associated with major enemies in the base game.

In this expansion, Remembrances function as narrative tools, revealing key events from a character’s background and their connection to the onset of Night. Some Remembrances are presented as text entries, while others are structured as playable flashbacks. During these flashbacks, non-player characters may assign objectives that direct the player to Limveld, a new region characterized by a shifting map layout.

Certain Nightfarers possess Remembrances with distinct mechanics. For instance, the character known as Raider features flashbacks that include solo boss encounters.

Players can access and manage Remembrances through a journal located in the library of the Roundtable Hold. Each Remembrance assigns a specific objective, and the nature of these objectives can vary by character and by memory. As a result, the content and progression of each Nightfarer’s questline differ.