FromSoft's Bloodborne Spiritual Successor Confirms Free Playtest, Get Involved

The latest Nintendo Direct is currently underway, with FromSoftware's Bloodborne spiritual successor having surfaced, The Duskbloods.

If this is the first you're hearing of The Duskbloods, it's set within a gothic realm much like Bloodborne. In fact, when the game was revealed, many mistakingly assumed we were heading back to Yharnum. The Duskbloods' city remains unnamed.

In terms of gameplay though, The Duskbloods is an entirely different kettle of fish, incorporating PvPvE elements.

The game is weirdly set to be a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive and is due to launch sometime in 2026. Nintendo and FromSoft are yet to pin down a precise release date. They have just confirmed, however, that a free playtest is launching on Nintendo Switch 2 this summer.

"Transcend humanity as the Bloodsworn. Wield eccentric blood powers and experience a small part of what the Dusk Battle has to offer in The Duskbloods network test. Please keep an eye on this account for details coming at a later date," read a post on the official The Duskbloods Twitter/X account.

Nintendo's own account added, "Step into this multiplayer action game as Bloodsworn, battle against up to seven players as you hunt to secure the mysterious First Blood. The Duskbloods launches exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026 with a closed network test coming soon!"

Watch The New Teaser For The Duskbloods Below

The Duskbloods classifies itself as a dark fantasy action RPG with players inhabiting the role of a Bloodsworn, a vampire-like creature. The general idea is that the Bloodsworn have beeb awakened and must fend off those also vying for power in a forsaken world.

The game's original trailer teased, “The moontears will flow for one and one alone."

There isn't as much hype surrounding The Duskbloods as we usually see with FromSoftware games and that's down to those PvPvE elements. As soon as they were confirmed, everyone sort of released a disappointed sigh online.

The thing is that The Duskbloods is yet to really showcase any in-depth gameplay, so no one knows what the PvPvE elements look like in action.

It's something that's put longtime fans off so I'm surprised that Nintendo and FromSoftware aren't putting in more effort to showcase the game and try and bring people back around.

I suppose that's what the playtest is for, but a little glimpse into what will be on offer during that playtest wouldn't have done any harm.

That uncertainty surrounding the title is evident in the response to the newest trailer.

"Looks gorgeous but like what even is the gameplay of this," remarked one social media user.

"You guys have to be joking right? A few images and no gameplay," another added.

Someone said, "59 seconds was a crime," referencing the trailer's brevity.

Hopefully, The Duskbloods will prove us wrong and will end up being a blast.

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