Elden Ring Nightreign will have a short beta test early next year

Reading descriptions of Elden Ring Nightreign is a lot like reading the early descriptions of Elden Ring before it came out. It was an open world RPG by a studio that hadn’t done anything like that before. And now it’s surprising us again with a cooperative run-based roguelike set in a parallel universe. Luckily, the mystery of how it actually works won’t go unsolved for long thanks to a limited network test coming in February.

FromSoftware will open registrations for the Nightreign network test on Jan. 10. It’s not open for everyone, but the few who do get in will be able to play “a portion” of the game, according to the website. It also might be limited to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X if the logos on the page are to be believed. Sorry, PC players.

If it’s anything like the Elden Ring network test, it could be a much meatier chunk of the experience than “a portion” makes it sound. Players spent hours exploring Limgrave, answering tons of questions about what the final game would actually look like even though it was ostensibly to stress test the servers. The upcoming beta might be where Nightreign’s bizarre pitch starts to make a lot more sense.

According to previews by PC Gamer and IGN, Nightreign blends elements of battle royales and roguelikes with the brutal combat of Elden Ring. It breaks a lot of rules from the original game to fit its run-based structure, and it seems like it might remix familiar bosses from Dark Souls — almost like a mod. You won’t even make your own character, but choose from eight unique heroes instead. And the entire landmass will randomize loot and monster locations every time you return.

Nightreign is the last thing you’d expect as a follow up to Elden Ring and I suspect there will be a lot competition for the network test. So, good luck, fellow Tarnished. Anyone who doesn’t get in will have to wait for the full release of Elden Ring Nightreign sometime in 2025 on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.