Elden Ring Nightreign Crossplay Guide: Cross-Gen Yes, Cross-Platform No
The announcement of Elden Ring Nightreign surprised me, as FromSoftware said that they were not planning to release any more add-ons for Elden Ring. But honestly, the opportunity to return to the beloved universe once again made me extremely happy! I was lucky to participate in the closed network test, and I really had to get up very early to get into the time slot when the game session was held to play with other fans. So, now I have something to tell you about Elden Ring Nightreign crossplay.
Is Elden Ring Nightreign Crossplay?
Elden Ring Nighreign has limited crossplay: you can play with others only within the same ecosystem. This means that PlayStation users can play together, and Xbox fans can also play together within their platform. But overall, Elden Ring Nightreign crossplay between all platforms is not available.
What is Elden Ring Nightreign?
Elden Ring Nightreign is a standalone action/RPG co-op survival with roguelike elements in the world of the Elden Ring game. The game takes place in procedurally generated locations that are well-known to Elden Ring players. In the network test, one of them was available – Limveld, which is very similar to Limgrave (the first area of the open world of Elden Ring). The game is designed exclusively for a co-op of 3 people, but you can start playing alone, and then, when you choose a goal for the run, two random players will join you. Over the course of three game days, leveling up in the location, you three will prepare to meet the final boss of the run.
The game has a mechanic similar to that of battle royale games – a shrinking game area that is restored after players defeat a secondary boss at the end of each game day.
Elden Ring Nightreign is not free to play, and a DLC is planned for it. It is an independent finished project whose focus is what players of the souls genre love most – the combat itself and the battle with bosses. Also, there are elements that add replayability and gaming excitement – constantly changing conditions in the form of procedurally generated loot and changeable locations.
Available Platforms
Elden Ring Nightreign will be a cross-platform game and will be released on all current and previous-generation platforms, namely PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Will Elden Ring Nightreign Be Crossplay?
Unfortunately, Elden Ring Nightreign will not be crossplay, as was evident in the network test. According to FromSoftware game director Junya Ishizaki,
“PS4 players can play with PS5 players, and Xbox One players can play with Xbox Series S and X players, but not between platforms.”
This means that there will be no crossplay in Elden Ring Nightreign between different platforms, but there will be crossplay between generations of the same console family.
Cross Features of Elden Ring Nightreign
Despite the fact that Elden Ring Nightreign was released for the maximum number of current and previous-gen platforms, not all features were implemented for various reasons. Elden Ring Nightreign follows the model of the original Elden Ring, which also did not support crossplay between different platforms and had only partial crossplay within one console family.
Lack of Crossplay
Now, crossplay is something like a new standard in the gaming industry, and most game developers are trying to implement this feature in their multiplayer projects as different players who prefer different platforms can play together this way. In addition, this feature allows you to reduce the time it takes to find a match in the lobby as it increases the number of players online. However, it is not always possible to implement this for various reasons, both technical and the policies of different gaming platforms, each preferring to keep their players within their ecosystem. Therefore, unfortunately, Elden Ring Nightreign will not be crossplay and players on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC will not be able to join each other in one session.
Cross-Platform Play is Supported
At the same time, Elden Ring Nightreign is a cross-platform game that you can play on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X. Moreover, partial crossplay in Elden Ring Nightreign is available within the same ecosystem. Thus, PS4 players will still be able to meet their PS5 friends in the lobby, and those who prefer Xbox will also be able to play together on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
Why No Full Crossplay in Elden Ring Nightreign?
The developers did not share why they decided not to add crossplay in Elden Ring Nightreign. However, here is what game director Junya Ishizaki said in the IGN article:
“Similar to the original Elden Ring, there will be cross-generational play but not cross-platform play. So PS4 players can play with PS5 players, and Xbox One players can play with Xbox Series S and X players, but not between platforms.”
If you ask me, I will tell you that Japanese games often have various problems with the network part. Perhaps, in this case, some technical limitations did not allow the full crossplay functionality to be implemented. Another possible reason may be various platform requirements and restrictions.
Nightreign’s Multiplayer Experience
In Elden Ring Nightreign, you start as one of 8 pre-made characters. At the time of the network test, 4 of them were available: Duchess, Guardian, Recluse, and Wylder. You can’t create your own characters, which is a bit unusual. Before the start of each run, you choose the main boss/target to destroy and enter the game with 2 other players. I want to emphasize right away that there will be NO co-op for 2 players; you can search for a session solo or in a group of ONLY 3 players because Elden Ring Nightreign crossplay is designed strictly for a party of three.
The run is divided into 3 rounds, which last a total of 3 game days. You drop onto the map, search for loot, and clear outposts, dungeons, and various bosses in locations. After a while, the map zone will gradually narrow, outside of which you will receive damage – this is a mechanic familiar to all players of battle royales. At the end of a game day, which lasts about 10 minutes, a mini-boss will be waiting for you. After defeating them, the second day will begin, and you will have the opportunity to finish looting, improve your skills, level up, and explore areas you’ve missed on the first day. Then, at the end of the second day, you fight another mini-boss. On the third day, you can improve your weapon even more, and then you fight the main target. At the end of each run, your character level is reset, but there are various passive improvements (for example, fire damage of weapons or % to the chance of a critical hit) in the form of stones that you will earn and can equip and use in the next run.
The locations are vast, with a lot of points of interest that you want to explore, but the game has a very fast pace, and even the character’s running speed is higher than in the original Elden Ring. At first, I didn’t really like it – the game day ends quickly, and the safe zone of the map begins to narrow fast, so you will not have time to read the description of items and think about what equipment to choose. It is also important to collaborate and clear areas together, which is not so easy with random players.
However, the game is incredibly addictive, and you no longer want to stop after a few hours. And it’s all about the core gameplay – battles with bosses and other NPSs with constantly changing conditions. Elden Ring Nightreign is ideal for an audience that has played the original Elden Ring several times, has already studied everything, and wants something new but familiar at the same time. So, invite two friends and go ahead, enjoy Elden Ring Nightreign crossplay!
Looking For Elden Ring Nightreign Multiplayer? Try GameTree
To truly enjoy Elden Ring Nightreign, you will need to act together as a team. Therefore, playing with randoms every time is a bad idea. If you do not have 2 friends on platforms in the same ecosystem who would like to join a party in Elden Ring Nightreign crossplay – no problem, as GameTree will always come to the rescue! Just download the application and take a short survey, and in a few seconds, our AI-based algorithm will find players for you who also want to play Elden Ring Nightreign. We analyze your experience in the game, gameplay style, preferences in other games, language, age, and many other parameters to make matchmaking personalized! This way, you will definitely get a positive experience in Elden Ring Nightreign co-op and find new friends with whom you can play from time to time!
