The Duskbloods

Lore & Background

The Duskbloods is set during the "Twilight of Humanity," an event in which the Bloodsworn are summoned from different times and places to compete for "First Blood." The Bloodsworn are player-controlled characters who have gained superhuman abilities through special blood, and the game has no fixed era or location. Players choose from over a dozen Bloodsworn—vampire-like characters, each possessing unique weapons, including firearms, and abilities—to compete across various maps. The game's maps include Gothic- and Victorian-style environments, as well as settings inspired by the closing years of the early modern period.

Gameplay features player versus player (PvP) and player versus environment (PvE) elements for up to eight participants. Players can customize their characters in a dedicated hub area, with lore fragments integrated into each character's "blood history and fate," which reveals details about the game world. By customizing a character's blood history and fate, players can adjust attributes such as abilities, appearance, and characteristics, as well as their in-game role. These roles assign specific responsibilities and objectives during matches, such as the Destined Rivals role requiring a player to find and defeat a designated rival, or the Destined Companion role tasking a player with seeking out a designated ally for a special reward. Each character can summon an entity to assist in combat, and an event system may dynamically influence matches by introducing special enemy spawns and additional objectives that offer bonus rewards.

Players earn Victory Points, which determine the outcome of a match, through direct combat or more strategic actions. Online matches generally use a last-player-standing format, although some use alternative victory conditions, such as defeating a boss enemy. Upon completion, players receive rewards, regardless of the outcome, which can be used for character customization. The developers drew on romantic aspects associated with vampires and blood when designing the characters, who are collectively known as the Duskbloods.

Reader's Guide

The Duskbloods represents a notable entry in FromSoftware's catalog as a multiplayer-focused action game directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, developed specifically for the Nintendo Switch 2. Its significance lies in its combination of PvP and PvE elements, drawing on FromSoftware's experience creating challenging enemy encounters while offering varied design possibilities. The game's development began for the original Nintendo Switch before shifting to the Switch 2, allowing the studio to focus more on online play while remaining closer to its original vision. The game was announced in April 2025 as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, with a network test held from August 21–24, 2026. In February 2026, KADOKAWA stated that Nintendo and FromSoftware would share sales responsibilities on a regional basis. The game's setting during the "Twilight of Humanity" and its vampire-inspired Bloodsworn characters, designed with romantic rather than horror elements, contribute to its unique identity. The integration of lore into character customization through "blood history and fate" and the dynamic event system offer strategic depth. As a multiplayer title from a studio known for single-player experiences, The Duskbloods may influence future FromSoftware projects and the broader action game genre.

Did You Know?

• The Duskbloods was initially developed for the original Nintendo Switch before shifting to the Nintendo Switch 2.
• Players can customize their characters' 'blood history and fate' to adjust abilities, appearance, and in-game role.
• A network test for the game took place from August 21–24, 2026.
• The game's maps include Gothic- and Victorian-style environments, as well as settings inspired by the closing years of the early modern period.