The first opportunity to play Elden Ring Nightreign is coming up sooner than many fans thought – FromSoftware and Bandai Namco have announced the Elden Ring Nightreign Network Test on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. This will be a closed test of the game taking place in February 2025, giving a select pool of participants the chance to play a portion of the game. The developers will use the data and feedback gained from this playtest to tune the game ahead of launch.
“The network test is a preliminary verification test in which the selected testers play a portion of the game prior to the full game launch. Various technical verifications of online systems will be examined by conducting large-scale network load tests,” the official website stated.
If you have a burning desire to be among the lucky testers, you should mark January 10, 2025, in your calendar – that’s the day Bandai Namco will open the sign-ups to the Elden Ring Nightreign playtest. Naturally, signing up does not guarantee participation, but it’s what gets you into the pool of potential candidates. Here’s the good news: Since the studio wants to conduct “large-scale network load tests” – basically stress-testing its servers as a drill for the game’s actual launch – it’ll require a substantial amount of testers, increasing your chances of being picked.
Another critical point of the test will likely be to gather feedback on the game’s netcode – a known weakness of FromSoftware that could turn out to be a crucial one for an online co-op title. Users will expect an improvement in this aspect compared to previous games.
Does the timing of the test tell us anything about Nightreign’s release date? That’s hard to say. A comparable network test for Elden Ring took place in November 2021, about four months ahead of its eventual launch in February 2022.
If – and that’s a big if – Bandai Namco and FromSoftware follow the same pattern, Elden Ring Nightreign could be set for a launch around June 2025.
More substantial information about the upcoming title has been revealed by game director Junya Ishizaki, who talked about Dark Souls enemies in Elden Ring Nightreign and more during a recent interview.
