The most surprising reveal of the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct might have been a third-party game. Announced near the end of the showcase, FromSoftware is developing a brand-new game called The Duskbloods, which has some striking similarities to the beloved PlayStation 4-exclusive Bloodborne.
The Duskbloods is a new game, to be clear, set to arrive sometime in 2026 worldwide, and exclusively on the Nintendo Switch 2. Playing as the "Bloodsworn," a group that has gone beyond humanity thanks to special blood, players will enter a violent melee to become the "First Blood."
Confirmed in a press release from FromSoftware, The Duskbloods is a PvPvE title with "online multiplayer at its core," with up to eight players battling for the win among themselves. So while all the blood, guns, and machinery brings to mind Bloodborne, it may also have quite a bit in common with the upcoming Elden Ring Nightreign, though with some PvP rather than solely co-op PvE.
We didn't get much more than that, besides cryptic teases and some looks at some horrifying beasts and bosses. Still, Bloodborne fans are having a wide variety of reactions to this.
"BLOOD! EVERY FIVE SECONDS THEY TALKED ABOUT BLOOD!" said one commenter in the r/Bloodborne post about The Duskbloods on Reddit. Another said: "That game is 100% Bloodborne 2. I assume the name change is either because it's in a different setting, or because of Sony exclusivity."
Though The Duskbloods is still different, it's easy to see the connections that would have fans feeling like it's a spiritual sucessor to Bloodborne. And while the Souls games and Elden Ring have gone onto other systems — Elden Ring even got a Tarnished Edition locked in for the Switch 2 — Bloodborne has remained a PlayStation 4 exclusive since release, not even making it over to PC. A port, sequel, or really anything has been something fans have wanted for years.
"Nintendo really got tired of waiting for Bloodborne 2 and just decided to fund it themselves," another commenter said. Another reply points out that, much like Bloodborne, The Duskbloods is currently a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive. "Bloodborne was always an exclusive, this is on brand," a replier added.
The announcement definitely kick-started the Bloodborne faithful, though reality has been setting in with confirmation that this sounds like a battle royale-style game, rather than a single-player RPG you'd normally expect from FromSoftware.
Some commenters started expressing dulled excitement over the revelation that The Duskbloods is a PvPvE experience. Threads have sprung up of fans finding this out, only to then express that between a multiplayer focus and Switch 2 exclusivity, they might not be so eager to jump on for The Duskbloods.
We're due to learn more about The Duskbloods soon, as Nintendo will post an interview with director Hidetaka Miyazaki on its website on April 4. Presumably this will shed some light on how exactly The Duskbloods will work, what its PvPvE will look like, and whether this can truly be enough to sate the Bloodborne fans who've been holding out hope for so long.
For all the other news announced during today's stream, be sure to check out our recap of everything announced at the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct.
Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.
