Key Elden Ring Feature Cut from Nightreign

Elden Ring Nightreign: No In-Game Messaging System

FromSoftware has confirmed that Elden Ring Nightreign will not feature an in-game messaging system, a staple of the Soulsborne series. This decision, according to game director Junya Ishizaki, is a practical one. The fast-paced, multiplayer-focused design of Nightreign, with anticipated play sessions of around 40 minutes, leaves insufficient time for players to read and write messages.

The asynchronous messaging system, a key element of community engagement in previous titles, allows players to leave messages for each other, offering assistance or playful misdirection. However, this feature is deemed incompatible with Nightreign's streamlined, intense gameplay.

Preserving Asynchronous Elements

While the messaging system is absent, other asynchronous features will return, and even be enhanced. The bloodstain mechanic, for example, will be improved, allowing players to witness and even loot the ghosts of fallen comrades. This reflects FromSoftware's aim for a more compressed, action-packed RPG experience.

A Compressed RPG Experience

The absence of the messaging system aligns with FromSoftware's vision for Nightreign as a more intense and multiplayer-focused game than its predecessor. The game's three-day structure also contributes to this goal, aiming for a consistently engaging experience with minimal downtime. Ishizaki describes the ambition as creating "a compressed RPG" with high variety.

Nightreign is slated for a 2025 release, as revealed at TGA 2024, though a precise release date remains unannounced.