The Duskbloods Started on Nintendo Switch, but Switch 2 Solved FromSoftware’s Biggest Problems

The Duskbloods Started on Nintendo Switch

The Duskbloods did not always begin as a Nintendo Switch 2 game. FromSoftware started work on the upcoming multiplayer title in 2021 for the original Switch, but director Hidetaka Miyazaki says the team ran into technical problems while trying to make its ideas work on the older console.

Nintendo’s Switch 2 reveal changed everything. Miyazaki said FromSoftware was “definitely very happy” when it learned about the new system, explaining that the team had been asking, “How are we going to do this?” Once Switch 2 entered the picture, he said, “all of those problems were solved.”

The Duskbloods Began Development in 2021

FromSoftware began making The Duskbloods in 2021, during the development era of Elden Ring. The project first targeted the original Nintendo Switch, with a small team working on an early version of the game.

At that point, The Duskbloods was still a rough collection of ideas rather than a complete game. FromSoftware had spoken with Nintendo about the concept, and Nintendo showed interest in helping turn it into a real project.

However, the game was different from most past FromSoftware releases. It was built around online multiplayer and included many systems that would need to run smoothly at the same time.

That became a major challenge on the first Switch.

Why the Original Switch Was a Problem

Miyazaki did not say the original Nintendo Switch could not run The Duskbloods at all. Instead, he explained that FromSoftware struggled with the technical side of getting its multiplayer-focused ideas to work on the older hardware.

The game is much more than a standard one player action adventure. It is a PvPvE game, which means players fight both other players and computer-controlled enemies during the same match.

That design creates more work for the system. The game has to manage:

• Up to eight online players in one match
• Fast combat and special character abilities
• Enemy AI and environmental dangers
• Online connections and match systems
• Different player goals, alliances, and rivalries

Nintendo confirms that The Duskbloods supports online matches for up to eight players. Players take control of supernatural fighters called Bloodsworn and battle for First Blood at the Dusk of Humanity.

For a smaller and less powerful console like the original Switch, balancing all of those features could require serious compromises.

Miyazaki Was Relieved by Switch 2

Nintendo approached FromSoftware about Switch 2 just as The Duskbloods was beginning to take shape. That gave the team a chance to rethink its development plans around more capable hardware.

Miyazaki later explained how relieved the studio was by the news.

“We were definitely very happy when we heard about the Switch 2, because we were thinking, ‘How are we going to do this?’ The Switch 2 came along and all of those problems were solved.”

This is an important detail for fans. It suggests that Switch 2 was not only a better-looking platform for The Duskbloods. It allowed FromSoftware to make the type of online game it originally wanted without cutting back as heavily on features or systems.

Nintendo also said that Switch 2’s stronger focus on online features helped FromSoftware stay “as true to the original vision as possible.”

What The Duskbloods Is About

The Duskbloods is a dark fantasy multiplayer game from FromSoftware, the studio behind Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Elden Ring.

Players become Bloodsworn, supernatural warriors who gain special abilities through blood. They are not meant to be simple horror monsters, even though the game uses vampire-like themes. Instead, FromSoftware describes them as powerful characters competing for First Blood during an event called the Twilight of Humanity.

The game’s world will not be limited to one place or historical era. Miyazaki has said players can expect Gothic and Victorian-style locations, along with settings inspired by the later years of the early modern period. One trailer location even showed a train moving through the world.

Unlike a normal battle royale, The Duskbloods is designed to give players several ways to take part in a match. You can fight rivals, defeat computer-controlled enemies, search for useful items, and work with temporary allies. That means players may still make progress even if they are not the best at direct PvP combat.

Is The Duskbloods Only Multiplayer?

Yes, The Duskbloods is an online multiplayer-focused game. However, Miyazaki has said its development does not mean FromSoftware is abandoning single-player games.

The studio still plans to make traditional single-player experiences alongside multiplayer projects. The Duskbloods is simply a chance for the team to explore ideas that did not fit naturally into its earlier single-player games.

For players worried that every future FromSoftware game will become a competitive online game, Miyazaki’s comments should be reassuring.

The Duskbloods Release Date and Platform

The Duskbloods is set to launch in 2026 exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2. Nintendo has not announced a specific release date yet.

Here is what we know so far:

Nintendo has also confirmed that the game can be played in TV, tabletop, and handheld modes on Switch 2.

Switch 2 Let FromSoftware Keep Its Vision

The story behind The Duskbloods shows why stronger hardware can matter even when a game is not trying to be the biggest open world release of the year.

FromSoftware was already trying to make a very different kind of game: a fast, eight-player PvPvE experience with enemies, vertical exploration, supernatural abilities, temporary alliances, and competitive battles. The original Switch created enough technical pressure that the team was unsure how it would make everything work.

Switch 2 gave FromSoftware a cleaner path forward. Rather than simply making The Duskbloods look better, the new system appears to have helped the studio preserve the game’s core multiplayer ideas. That makes this one of the most interesting Switch 2 exclusives to watch in 2026.