Of all the high-profile releases in 2026, FromSoftware’s The Duskbloods remains the most low-key, even after so many hands-on previews. Not only are there no details on its release date (aside from allegedly later this year), but its recent network test was only available to a select few participants, even after its rough start.
Of course, the developer has already confirmed that this is a PvEvP experience, so at some point, you’ll need to fight other players, which can be a red flag, admits director Hidetaka Miyazaki to IGN in a new interview. “So, at the start, the audience really is just myself while thinking about how I would go at this. Are there systems in place that I would enjoy, that cater to me as a player, not being someone who’s really into that intense PvP?”
While 12 players start in a match and can battle each other and hostile NPCs, the final round is a three-way to decide the victor. However, he notes that “doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be great at PvP in order to win.” This is due to the companions known as Kin, and it seems that players can tune their build to make them stronger.
“The Kin [computer-controlled companions] can be further emphasized, and you can customize your character to further supplement their power to turn them into someone who can fight for you while you take a bit of a backseat.” By the looks of it, this may be similar to the Spirit Ashes from Elden Ring, which players can summon to help during fights. Of course, how extensive the range of companions will be remains to be seen.
However, Miyazaki assures, “There will definitely be a section of the customization that caters towards that play style for people who don’t want to necessarily always be in an intense PvP thing, even if they make it to the end and want to take more of a backseat and enjoy the game in a different way.”
He notes that the team is “trying our best to cater to that playstyle as much as we can, currently.” It’s a difficult balance, especially since you don’t want to make it the best – especially considering how the Elden Ring community feels about Spirit Ashes in general. As always, time will tell, so stay tuned for further updates.
