The Duskbloods is coming exclusively to Nintendo Switch 2, and Hidetaka Miyazaki says Nintendo’s enthusiastic response to FromSoftware’s unusual multiplayer action RPG helped determine that path before business considerations entered the discussion. Hardware limitations also played a role in the game’s platform history.
FromSoftware began developing The Duskbloods for the original Nintendo Switch in 2021, but the studio struggled to get the multiplayer title running properly on the older hardware. The arrival of Nintendo’s newer console gave the team a way forward. In an interview with The Verge, Miyazaki said, “We were definitely very happy when we heard about the Switch 2, because we were thinking, ‘How are we going to do this?’ The Switch 2 came along and all of those problems were solved.”
Nintendo’s response mattered beyond the technical upgrade. In an IGN interview, Miyazaki said FromSoftware had the chance to discuss its idea with Nintendo and found the company “very excited and very receptive” to it. Nintendo also seemed forward-thinking about how the project could work, which gave Miyazaki greater confidence in moving ahead.
Nintendo will help tackle The Duskbloods’ complex systems
The choice also reflects the game’s design. Miyazaki said its systems and rules are complex, making the relationship with Nintendo useful for feedback, support, additional ideas, and balance work while development continues. Because The Duskbloods has not released yet, he described the partnership as an active part of preparing the game.
Player onboarding was another major concern. FromSoftware has not always explained its mechanics clearly at the start of a game; Miyazaki admitted the studio has sometimes “dropped players in and hoped they would figure it out.” He believes Nintendo’s strength in presenting information in an understandable way makes it the right partner for The Duskbloods’ tutorials and player onboarding.
The Duskbloods is taking FromSoftware in a different direction
The game is built around multiplayer rather than the studio’s more familiar single-player format. Its matches draw from tabletop RPG ideas, including the Virtue and Sigil systems, and give players more objectives than simply defeating everyone else. Players will need to understand those rules quickly, so clear tutorials could make a meaningful difference when several systems shape each match.
A rare Nintendo release for FromSoftware
FromSoftware has worked on console exclusives before. Demon’s Souls and Bloodborne were published by Sony and worked on alongside the now-closed Japan Studio, but The Duskbloods will be the studio’s first Nintendo-console release on day one in the post-Dark Souls era.
When it launches, the game will also mark FromSoftware’s first Nintendo home-console exclusive since Lost Kingdoms 2 in 2003. Miyazaki’s explanation points to a partnership built around the game’s systems as much as its platform: Nintendo’s input could help FromSoftware present a more approachable entry point without changing the studio’s core design ambitions.
Nintendo’s role in making The Duskbloods’ dense systems easier to understand could prove just as important as the console exclusivity itself. Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
The Duskbloods
Developed by FromSoftware
An online multiplayer PvPvE game where players vie for supremacy among themselves and against challenging foes. Play as the "Bloodsworn"; a group that has transcended human strength thanks to their special blood, and throw yourself into a violent fray for "First Blood" as the twilight of humanity approaches. The moontears will flow for one and one alone.
- Platforms Nintendo Switch 2
- Perspective Third person
- Modes Single player, Multiplayer
- Release December 31, 2026
- Publisher FromSoftware, Nintendo
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Age Rating
