FromSoftware's focus hasn't shifted to multiplayer, Miyazaki says, despite Elden Ring: Nightreign and The DuskbloodsPlus, more details on the Switch 2 exclusive.Image credit: FromSoftware News by Ed Nightingale Deputy News Editor Published on April 4, 2025 FromSoftware boss Hidetaka Miyazaki has confirmed the studio hasn't shifted to focus on multiplayer games.The studio is best-known for its single-player games, from its Soulsborne games to the hugely successful Elden Ring. Yet that game's follow-up, Nightreign, is an online co-op roguelike, while the studio's Switch 2 exclusive Duskbloods has been confirmed as a PvPvE game following its reveal earlier this week at the Nintendo Direct."As previously mentioned, this is an online multiplayer title at its core, but this doesn't mean that we as a company have decided to shift to a more multiplayer-focused direction with titles going forward," said Miyazaki in an interview with Nintendo.The Duskbloods Nintendo Direct | Nintendo Switch 2Watch on YouTube"The Nintendo Switch 2 version of Elden Ring was also announced, and we still intend to actively develop single-player focused games such as this that embrace our more traditional style."However, he stated he's always found the PvPvE structure "very interesting", adding: "It allows for a broad range of game-design ideas, while also letting us leverage our experience of designing challenging enemy encounters."Elsewhere in the interview, Miyazaki provided more details on The Duskbloods. At first it was designed for the original Switch, but development changed to the newer console as its "focus on online features allowed us to stay as true to the original vision as possible". Gun fights will be more prevalent in The Duskbloods | Image credit: FromSoftwareAs for characters and setting, player characters are known as "Bloodsworn" and have super-human abilities through the power of special blood."As a general concept, they're similar to vampires, but they are not portrayed as the horrifying monsters you might associate with traditional vampirism," said Miyazaki."We tried to extract the sort of romantic aspects we found interesting from concepts such as vampires and 'blood' and reinterpreted them as the Bloodsworn."He continued: "In The Duskbloods, the Bloodsworn are competing for something known as 'First Blood'. As human society reaches an end, First Blood flows in an event known as the 'Twilight of Humanity'. The Bloodsworn are summoned to the Twilight of Humanity across a variety of different times and places in a bid to obtain First Blood."Due to this, there is no fixed era or location in which The Duskbloods takes place. There are more traditional Gothic- or Victorian-style maps as well as those depicting the closing years of the early modern period, like the one glimpsed in the trailer with the train running through it."As a result of the special blood, basic actions are dynamic and superhuman, like sprinting, super jump, and double jump."Also, and while this isn't directly related to the Bloodsworn themselves, the setting allows for the depiction of firearms and such, and every character is equipped with some means of attacking from a distance," confirmed Miyazaki. "I feel this is one of the game's unique aspects when compared with our previous titles. I hope these new action elements are one area that players will enjoy."Players will choose from over a dozen specific characters to play as, each with their own identity and unique weapons. As for the gameplay loop, Duskbloods has a hub area from which up to eight players can join a match. On their return, they receive rewards to customise their character further. Matches are generally last player standing, though victory conditions will differ in certain cases - taking down a boss, for instance.Further, how players conduct themselves is as important as direct combat, Miyazaki explained. "The Duskbloods implements 'Victory Points', which are responsible for ultimately deciding the outcome of a match," he said. "To obtain Victory Points, direct combat is of course important, but it's not the only way. Some players may prefer to earn points by avoiding direct combat and instead engaging in more opportunistic behavior. How you earn points is entirely up to you."Additionally, each character can summon an entity to assist in combat, giving players a high degree of freedom when it comes to how they fight - and win." It's this enemy that intrigues me most... | Image credit: FromSoftwareThere's also an event system to dynamically alter the course of a match - something FromSoftware has similarly implemented in Nightreign.Another interesting addition are "roles" for each player, outside of the main mission of obtaining First Blood. For instance, players may need to defeat a specific opponent, or seek another player as their companion. Roles are assigned by blood customisation.Indeed, character customisation is also where players will find the typical lore fragments of Souls games. By customising a character, players will alter their "blood history and fate", slowly revealing their story. Image credit: FromSoftwareOh and the winged rat from the trailer? That's your new hub friend, providing expert advice between matches. Miyazaki joked this is FromSoftware doing "something a little Nintendo-esque in the spirit of the partnership".He added: "We tried something cute for a change. Although I will say this character is actually an elderly gentleman."The Duskbloods was revealed at the Switch 2 Direct earlier this week, where it initially drew favourable comparisons to Bloodborne. For more on the new console, check out Eurogamer's hands-on preview with Switch 2.