The concept for Elden Ring Nightreign first emerged during the development of Dark Souls 3, when director Junya Ishizaki began to envision what would eventually become this new title. Ishizaki expressed his desire to helm more projects in the same vein as Nightreign, as he found inspiration from his earlier works.
Dark Souls, a hallmark of FromSoftware, laid the groundwork for creating a new genre known as Soulslike. Since the release of Dark Souls 3 in 2016, many in the gaming industry have drawn from its successes, which paved the way for titles like Elden Ring.
Despite the latter evolving into its own narrative and universe, there remain striking parallels between it and the Dark Souls series. With Nightreign, the franchise is branching out to offer a standalone RPG that promises a cooperative, roguelike experience inspired by Elden Ring’s rich lore and world.
Just days before Nightreign’s release, the team at FromSoftware unveiled the Revenant class for the new co-op action RPG. In an interview with GamesRadar+, Ishizaki discussed how the initial idea for Nightreign had lingered since his tenure as a combat and level designer for Dark Souls 3.
Although fragmented at first, he noted that it wasn’t until Elden Ring was fully in production that he could give clearer form to his concepts. Ishizaki also shared that the expansive open world of Elden Ring, filled with diverse enemies and player options, served as fertile ground for the evolution of his ideas.
He became aware of the potential for development once he recognized the variety and challenge each unique enemy brought to gameplay. Ultimately, he only learned he would direct Nightreign when Hidetaka Miyazaki offered him the position, and he looks forward to directing future projects.
Elden Ring Nightreign is set to release on May 30, with significant contributions from the experiences gained during the creation of Dark Souls 3.