After launch, FromSoftware is considering adding a two-player mode to Elden Ring Nightreign

 

Elden Ring Nightreign, FromSoftware's standalone multiplayer survival game, is due to hit PC and consoles on May 30. There will be two game modes available at launch: three-player online co-op and solo mode. However, FromSoftware is contemplating introducing a two-player option to Elden Ring Nightreign after it launches, allowing a pair of gamers to team up and plunge into the adventure.

Elden Ring: Nightreign Game Modes
In a Friday interview with IGN, Elden Ring Nightreign director Junya Ishizaki stated that the game was designed from the start to be three-player co-op friendly. However, a two-player option might be introduced to the game via a post-launch feature update.

"The simple answer is that this was simply overlooked during development as a two-player option, so we're very sorry for that," Ishizaki said of the lack of a two-player mode.

"As we said before, we set out to make this a multiplayer co-op game for three players, balanced for three players, so that was the main focus and it's at the core of Nightreign," according to him. The game director stated that the company prioritized creating a solo option in addition to the three-player co-op mode.

"Of course, as a player, I understand it and frequently prefer to play alone myself, therefore this was something we considered from the start. So we worked hard to make this experience accessible for solitary players to the extent that the laws and new technologies permitted.

"So in putting all our efforts into that aspect, we kind of overlooked and neglected the duos aspect, but this is something that we are looking at and considering for post-launch support as well."

Solo Mode Differences
Ishizaki also discussed the differences between solo and cooperative gaming. Elden Ring Nightreign, while designed for three players working as a team, will have individuals wandering out on their own and completing the game's tasks solo before gathering to face the night's boss together. According to Ishizaki, solo gaming will not differ significantly from three-player co-op mode. He did, however, confirm that adversary behavior in the game has been adjusted for solitary players.

"So solo play is generally encouraged and is a natural part of the game loop, but also in general for those solo players — and this might be something that's difficult to notice in multiplayer — but the activeness and aggressiveness of enemies towards any one single player has been adjusted so that you don't find yourself in any unreasonable multi-foe fights," according to him.

"And, in general, when you play single player, the settings change dynamically based on the number of participants in the session. So we hope this helps to lessen that discomfort."

The solo experience will have its own obstacles, as players will have to face bosses on their own. Solo players cannot be resurrected when there are no teammates in action. However, Ishizaki revealed that a self-revive function can be discovered when exploring the map.

Elden Ring Nightreign is an online co-op offshoot of Elden Ring that features familiar difficulties, exploration, and boss fights on a smaller landscape. Players must survive for three nights before facing the main boss. The map evolves with each run, including new enemies, environmental changes, and obstacles that have the potential to radically alter the experience. Nightreign is planned to release on May 30 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.