FromSoftware’s ambitious cooperative spin-off Elden Ring Nightreign stumbled out of the gate during its first network test session, with severe server issues leaving many eager players unable to explore its parallel world.
The problems hit PlayStation users particularly hard, prompting emergency server maintenance just hours into the test.
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The network test, designed to stress-test the game’s online features across five three-hour sessions from February 14-17, ran into immediate connectivity hurdles.
Many players, including IGN staff, reported being locked out entirely during the crucial first hour. Server congestion created widespread matchmaking failures, derailing plans for cooperative dungeon crawling.
FromSoftware acknowledged the issues quickly, taking to social media with an apology and confirmation that their team was working to stabilise the experience. In a promising development for disappointed fans, the studio is now considering adding an extra network test session to make up for lost time.
The timing proves particularly frustrating given the test’s strict schedule. With only five brief windows for players to team up as Nightfarers and face the game’s new terrors, every minute of downtime cuts deep!
The remaining sessions are scheduled across varying time slots through February 16, giving FromSoftware limited opportunities to iron out these connectivity wrinkles.
While server issues during a network test are preferable to launch-day problems, the situation has cast a shadow over what otherwise promises to be an intriguing evolution of the Elden Ring formula.
Early hands-on impressions paint Nightreign as a faster-paced take on FromSoftware’s celebrated combat, transforming methodical dungeon crawls into high-octane three-player speedruns through an ever-shifting landscape.
With Elden Ring Nightreign’s May 30 release date approaching, all eyes now turn to the remaining test sessions.
The true measure of success will be how quickly FromSoftware can stabilise their servers and give players a proper taste of cooperative survival against the Nightlord.
