I Hate to Say This, But I Hope Elden Ring: Nightreign Becomes a Live Service Game

by

Live-service games tend to be more miss than hit, with many of them failing to stay relevant for extended periods. Despite this, the gaming industry continues to invest heavily in them. Many developers choose not to delve into live services, which can lead to the creation of complete games with a clear beginning, middle, and end. While live-service games often require ongoing financial investment for new content, I believe that if there’s one game that could benefit from this model, it is Elden Ring: Nightreign.

Elden Ring: Nightreign Has the Foundations for a Great Live Service Game

As a passionate admirer, I must admit that Elden Ring: Nightreign seems to embody many aspects of a live service game even before its release. But, at the start of this year, the creators behind Nightreign made it clear they wouldn’t tread the path of live services. In an interview with PC Gamer, director Ishizaki shared their vision for Nightreign: “We wanted to craft a game that feels like a comprehensive experience right from the box on the day of purchase. Everything is unlockable, everything is encompassed within that initial purchase.

In reality, that’s an ideal strategy, one we don’t encounter as frequently as desired these days. Most businesses are constantly seeking ways to extend the life of their products, boosting earnings in the process. Even established series such as Dragon Age have pondered adopting a live service model. Frankly, I’m glad it didn’t, but unfortunately, the last release was a messy affair, best left undiscussed for now.

To put it simply, I’m really into solo games or full cooperative experiences with occasional updates, without any pressure to log in daily. However, I find myself hoping that Elden Ring: Nightreign could evolve into a live service game. The gameplay is engaging, the characters are well-developed, and it offers an array of bosses from the Elden Ring universe with potential for expansion. Moreover, its structure allows players to keep fighting new bosses and participate in daily or seasonal challenges. It might seem a bit unconventional, but I don’t want Nightreign to disappear someday.

The Formula Is Already There, It’s Just a Matter of Using It Properly

Analyzing the game structure, it’s clear that the gameplay is quite captivating. You embark on a 40-minute adventure, confront the boss, and afterward, you’re back to the main hub with rewards that enhance the roguelike experience. These rewards enable you to upgrade your characters, and then you dive back into the action. This formula, if skillfully executed by the developers of Elden Ring: Nightreign, could make it a compelling live service offering, provided they avoid turning it into a ‘pay-to-win’ situation.

If the ongoing service maintains its focus on cosmetic items and some currency, I don’t foresee any issues with introducing a battle pass-like feature. However, if this system begins to offer gameplay-altering unlockables such as relics or vessels, that could potentially cause problems. Alternatively, it might follow the approach of Helldivers 2, ensuring nothing triggers FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). Essentially, keep all passes as they are and let players decide when and how to spend their money, should they choose to do so. In essence, the idea doesn’t appear too problematic, provided FromSoftware executes it properly.

Though it remains undecided whether this will take place or not, daydreaming won’t cause any harm. To be honest, I’m not particularly fond of live service games, but if someone were to ask me which one I’d pick, Nightreign would be the only one that pops up in my mind. However, even if this doesn’t materialize, there are still plenty of engaging activities within the game, and I’m grateful that the renowned Soulslike developers dared to try out this concept. Admittedly, it may not have hit the target for everyone, but Elden Ring: Nightreign still manages to draw approximately 70k players on Steam during the night. This, undeniably, is a clear indication that there’s a desire for more.

Read More

2025-07-11 22:35