Talk to any Elden Ring Nightreign fan lately and you’ll find a tarnished husk eager for a reason to jump back into their favorite obsession of 2025. Even after spending hundreds of hours toiling across the same map and fighting the same bosses we’re hungry for more, especially after the game’s new Deep of Night ranked mode ended up being a dud. Well, we apparently only have to wait a little longer. FromSoftware’s parent company has confirmed the game’s first official paid DLC will arrive by April 2026.
That morsel of good news came in Kadokawa Corporation’s latest financial earnings report. In it, the company said the Elden Ring spin-off exceeded sales expectations but fell off steeply in the second quarter. It’s hopeful an expansion can revive the game’s momentum the same way Shadow of the Erdtree did with the original game.
“FromSoftware is currently developing Elden Ring Nightreign DLC (planned for release in FY2025), Elden Ring Tarnished Edition (planned for release in 2026 for Nintendo Switch 2), and The Duskbloods (planned for release in 2026),” Kadokawa Corporation confirmed. Is FromSoftware working on anything else for next year? Previous rumors suggested it’s next game isn’t as far away as some fans might think, with hints that it could be a new Armored Core or a remaster for Dark Souls III.
Nightreign needs a new map
But for Nightreign sickos like myself, the DLC will be more than enough to keep us occupied, at least if it’s on par with the studio’s previous expansions. What does that wishlist include? A new map, for one. I’ve grown quite fond of Limveld during my time there, but it represents only a small, randomized portion of the original game’s big open world. There are so many other parts that could be adapted into similarly sized, procedurally generated maps.
Nightreign is, first and foremost, a game about logistics and cost-benefit analysis. Much of that decision making has become streamlined and rote as players have become experts in all of the tradeoffs and probabilities underlying the current map. A new one, in addition to a fresh visual palette and new enemies and points of interest to draw upon, would almost feel like a sequel.
Fans have also been begging for more character classes to try. There are currently eight in the game and most players have settled in on their favorites. Two new classes, especially ones that favor different weapons and abilities than the existing ones, would be another draw. New bosses also seem like a must for any DLC. FromSoftware has its entire Soulsborne back catalog to draw from, and the time it takes not just to learn new encounters but master them is no small investment.
That’s especially the case for the Nightlords that cap off each run. The game currently has eight. Add four more and their Everdark variants and we’ll essentially have Nightreign 2. But I’ll settle for anything at this point. I just want a reason to send out party invites, round up the crew, and get our asses kicked like it’s launch all over again.