Nightreign Director on One Gameplay Element They Took from Miyazaki’s Elden Ring: “We wanted to keep and transfer” That Into the Spinoff

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Although Elden Ring Nightreign may appear similar to its predecessor to many, make no mistake, it’s a different beast altogether if you’ve played it. Compared to Hidetaka Miyazaki’s previous take, this game stands out uniquely. The developers aimed to create a roguelike-focused game while still preserving the original concept.

Despite Junya Ishizaki’s efforts to maintain a sense of familiarity, he successfully adapted Elden Ring in a way that remained true to its essence. However, there is one distinct aspect that was retained from the original, which brings us here today. So, without further ado, let’s delve right into it, shall we?

Elden Ring Nightreign might be a different game, but Ishizaki wanted to keep one element intact

It’s clear that Elden Ring Nightreign incorporates elements from previous games, yet this was intentional to expand on Elden Ring while incorporating a multiplayer aspect. Junya Ishizaki aimed to preserve rather than dismantle the open-world soulslike game foundation laid by Miyazaki.

In an interview with CNET, Junya Ishizaki outlined elements from the franchise that he chose to incorporate into his version of Elden Ring Nightreign. It’s worth noting that similarities can be seen in terms of character development and RPG mechanics between this new game and the original. Interestingly, Ishizaki aimed to preserve these aspects while still creating something distinctly different.

In many of our games, including but not exclusive to Elden Ring, we emphasize the feeling of exploring and navigating through a vast world. We’ve carried over this approach, along with refining role-playing game mechanics and character development, for Nightreign as well.

For us FromSoftware enthusiasts, the thrilling clashes with formidable bosses are a cherished aspect. This appreciation is shared by Junya Ishizaki as well. Yet, he aimed to put his distinctive touch on these encounters in Elden Ring: Nightreign, intending to make each battle feel grand and distinct within

In Elden Ring, boss fights remain significant, yet for Nightreign, we aimed to introduce something fresh. Our intention was to make the grand-scale boss battles in this game truly awe-inspiring and unlike any other encounter.

To be fair, I must acknowledge that Junya Ishizaki wasn’t solely responsible for their success. His team, who were equally dedicated, played a significant role in crafting our exceptional game. In the end, their efforts paid off, resulting in something that felt both familiar and unique. I’m grateful they preserved some of the special aspects from Elden Ring, as it beautifully illustrates the evolution and continuity of our creation.

Nightreign keeps some ideas from Elden Ring, but the rest of it is a part of the glorious evolution





Initially, the concept for Elden Ring Nightreign’s map was not about procedural generation. Instead, Ishizaki’s team aimed to design multiple maps that would appear during different gameplay sessions. Later on, they decided to integrate all these maps into one larger map instead.

Initially, it was proposed to use distinct maps for each gaming session, but at some stage, we considered combining all of them into a single map and introducing various layers with dynamic adjustments throughout the gameplay.

Speaking personally, I find the concept of procedurally generated maps to be a more appealing approach. There’s a lot of potential for expansion and development if future updates are taken into account. Given FromSoftware’s history of introducing additional challenges through DLCs, it’s possible they may plan to do the same with Elden Ring: Nightreign.

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2025-06-07 00:12