Gamers Freak Out As Elden Ring Nightreign Network Test Implodes

A new FromSoftware game is plenty of cause to get hardcore gamers hyped, even if it's a spin-off title like Elden Ring Nightreign. Unsurprisingly, the response to the call for participants in the pre-release "Network Test" for the game was met with a tsunami of applicants. Only the favored few who were awarded an access key were allowed to play, but it turns out that a huge portion of even those selected may not have been able to play at all.


The game will be holding four separate network test events, starting today and running through Monday; you can see the times above. The first test concluded this morning, at least in the US, and responses from those who actually got to play Nightreign are overwhelmingly positive. Players on Twitter had nothing but nice things to say about the game—as long as they actually got in.


Unfortunately, it seems like the overwhelming majority of players who attempted to play were not able to do so. Posts complaining about the state of the network test flooded Xwitter, with many users posting memes to cope with the frustration of being unable to get in and play. FromSoftware even took down the game servers at one point to help with what was said to be congestion, or overloading, but it doesn't appear to have helped for many.


Supposedly, the network test went more smoothly for Xbox gamers. While we haven't confirmed this, numerous players on Reddit report having no issues with the Xbox version of the network test, suggesting that it may have been either an issue with the PlayStation version or possibly simply a congestion problem.


It does seem that a handful of players on the PlayStation version were able to get in and play a few matches, so it wasn't a total failure, but FromSoftware has apologized for the downtime and says that it is "considering holding an additional test" today to compensate everyone for the trouble.


Announced late last year at The Game Awards, Elden Ring Nightreign is a spinoff of the mega-hit action RPG. While "Souls" series maestro Hidetaka Miyazaki isn't directly involved, the game is directed by veteran "Souls" developer Junya Ishizaki, and it promises to merge the trademark FromSoftware fantasy-action gameplay with elements borrowed from battle royale and Rogue-like titles to form quite a unique experience.


Players will play solo or in teams of three, select from a roster of pre-made characters with unique abilities new to this game, drop in from a gliding spectral hawk, and then fight through three days of pseudo-randomized battles on a fixed map. The entire process of leveling up and gearing is extremely streamlined from Elden Ring, promising a faster, more action-oriented experience.


If that sounds interesting to you, you don't have too long to wait. Publisher Bandai-Namco just announced that Elden Ring Nightreign is coming out on May 30th. While the network test is restricted to current-generation consoles, the full release of Nightreign will be available on those systems, last-gen PlayStation and Xbox hardware, and of course, PCs. You can head to this page to pre-purchase if you're already sold, and get a bonus gesture for your trouble.