With Elden Ring Nightreign, FromSoftware has done something bold by fusing familiar content from past games with new mechanics to create a fresh experience. It’s a different kind of Soulslike—still punishing, still mysterious, but wrapped in a roguelike format that demands adaptability. But after spending over 100 hours in the game, it’s clear that some ideas were either scrapped midway or never fully thought through. That’s why I wanted to take a moment to highlight a few concerns. With the right quality-of-life updates, Nightreign could go from alright to great.
Also, if you haven’t checked out our review of Elden Ring Nightreign, be sure to give it a read. It’ll give you a better idea of why I’m pointing out these specific suggestions.
Add Crossplay, Seriously, It’s 2025
I know, I know. Half of the internet has been screaming the same thing: why the hell doesn’t Elden Ring Nightreign have crossplay? It’s a damn good question, and not just because it’s a buzzword. We’ve all seen the benefits in games that do support it—longer lifespans, stronger communities, and no more rebuying games on different platforms just to play with friends. Crossplay removes the walls and lets people connect, whether they’re on Xbox, PlayStation, or PC.
We’ve also seen what both crossplay and cross-progression have done for games in the past. Just take a look at Monster Hunter Wilds, the latest title from Capcom. They were once resistant to cross-platform play too, much like FromSoftware seems to be now. But once they embraced it, Monster Hunter Wilds became one of the most played games in the series. And it wasn’t just because of the monsters—it was the ability to party up with anyone, anywhere, anytime.
For a game that leans so heavily on co-op and PvP, that design decision feels straight out of 2013. This isn’t a wishlist feature anymore. It’s a baseline expectation. And look, I get that there might be technical hurdles, but that excuse doesn’t hold much water in 2025, especially when smaller studios with a fraction of the budget have managed to pull it off. And when I say that, I’m looking solely at Gunfire Games and what it was able to accomplish with Remnant From The Ashes and Remnant II. So, what’s the excuse here, Fromsoftware?
Let Us Restart a Run, Please, We’re Begging You
Elden Ring Nightreign doesn’t play like your average Soulslike. The roguelite structure means you can’t grind endlessly to overcome difficulty spikes. You’re playing the hand you’re dealt, and sometimes that hand is pure trash. Maybe you got a slightly less desirable weapon, a rough enemy layout, or your team wiped early, and now you’re limping into Day Two underleveled. There’s no bouncing back from that.
Right now, your choices are pretty grim. You can push through the suffering, hoping for a miracle. Or you can quit and accept the penalty, which feels more like a punishment than a design choice. What makes it worse is that dying during a run drains your levels over time. So even if you’re trying your best to bounce back, the game is actively making sure you never will.
This is exactly why we need a restart option. Let us vote as a party to reset the run. If everyone agrees that the current path is a wash, we should be able to start fresh. Waiting for death or crawling through an unwinnable scenario just wastes time and sucks the fun out of the experience. Roguelikes like Hades, Dead Cells, and even Returnal give players ways to reset bad runs or mitigate punishment. Nightreign should too.
A restart feature doesn’t break the game. If anything, it keeps it feeling fair. It’s a small change with a massive impact. And honestly, it’s something players will thank FromSoftware for every time things go south.
Add Duos, Not Everyone Rolls with a Full Squad
Heading into Nightreign, one of the biggest early questions, right behind “Where’s the crossplay?”—was, why are we locked into trios? On paper, teams of three make sense. More builds, more strategy, more synergy. But in reality, it limits flexibility.
A proper duo mode with adjusted scaling and loot would go a long way. It would let players partner up without the fear of being overwhelmed. It would cut down on awkward matchmaking, open the game up to more casual sessions, and give players more agency. Not everyone has a trio on standby. Some of us just want to play with one reliable friend and not roll the dice with strangers.
Adding support for duos isn’t just a feature request. It’s a nod to accessibility. It’s about removing barriers that keep people from enjoying the game the way they want to.
Keep the Momentum Going
Elden Ring Nightreign has only just been released, but that doesn’t mean FromSoftware should kick back and assume the work is done. Players are already dissecting the systems, exploring builds, and forming strong opinions. And some of those opinions are crystal clear: we love what’s here, but it could be so much more.
It’s not unrealistic to think that FromSoftware can address these things. After all, we’ve seen them react quickly before. Look at Shadow of the Erdtree. That DLC saw several balance patches and tuning updates in the first few weeks after launch. The difference this time is that the stakes feel higher. The game hinges on co-op and repeat playthroughs. If that loop breaks, or if enough players bounce off the frustrating parts, it could seriously hurt the game’s longevity.
So yes, these are my concerns. But I also believe they’re fixable. And if FromSoftware listens—really listens—they have a chance to shape Nightreign into something that players stick with long after the hype fades. These tweaks wouldn’t just improve the experience. They could redefine what a Soulslike co-op game looks like in the modern era.
Elden Ring Nightreign is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. If you’ve played it, I’d love to hear what you think—and what you’d change.
