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Nightreign

Elden Ring Nightreign: How To Defeat Gnoster

by admin June 4, 2025

One of the more unique Nightlord fights you’ll encounter is Gnoster, Wisdom of Night, during the Sentient Pest mission. The first phase of this boss is a dual fight, which then turns into a single-target encounter halfway through.

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Preparation

For starters, this boss’s weakness is fire, so it’ll be helpful to aim for buildings that have the red fire icon when you’re on your expedition. The relic you earned for defeating the first boss, Tricephelos, is helpful here; it grants fire-damage to your starting weapon. The boss can also inflict poison, so if you come across any poison protection during your expedition, make sure to grab that as well.

Read More: Elden Ring Nightreign: A Beginner’s Guide To Mastering Ironeye

As for team composition, go with two ranged characters like Ironeye or Recluse, and one close-range melee, or vice versa. Having the correct lineup here is important.

Strategies for fighting Gnoster

Screenshot: FromSoftware / George Yang / Kotaku

During the first phase of the Gnoster fight, the boss is split into two beings: a scorpion-like monster and a moth. Ranged characters should focus on the moth by shooting at it from far away, while the close-range melee characters should focus on the scorpion. You want to divert their attention so that you’re not fighting both of them within close proximity with each other at the exact same time. Luckily, they share the same single HP bar so any damage you land separately on them impacts them both.

The moth shoots magical projectiles at you for its most basic attack. This one is easy to dodge as you can just roll out of the way as they’re homing in. However, if the moth soars higher into the sky and particles start appearing, just run as far away as you can. It’ll shoot a barrage of magic projectiles that’ll rain down in a wide AOE (area-of-effect) area, but as long as you’re out of its range, you should be able to avoid it entirely.

The moth will also conjure up some dark purple cosmic mist that’ll accumulate poison if you don’t get out of its way. Avoiding it is self-explanatory, just get away from the mist as it appears. Lastly, if the moth starts to make some erratic movements, it means that it’s about to lunge and grab you. Roll backwards or to the side just as it lunges forward in order to dodge it.

Screenshot: FromSoftware / George Yang / Kotaku

The scorpion has some pretty basic attacks too. One of them includes stomping its feet on the ground, causing earth spikes to come up. These spikes only hit directly in front, so stay behind or at the side of the scorpion to avoid it. It can also burrow into the ground and disappear for a few seconds. If you’re targeted, keep track of the ground. Sand will begin to rumble under you; that’s your sign to dodge the scorpion’s underground attack.

Screenshot: FromSoftware / George Yang / Kotaku

Around the 50-percent HP mark, the ground will sprout greenery, and both the moth and scorpion will combine into one creature. There are two main attacks that you need to look out for.

If you see your screen brighten up, that’s a sign that you’ve been targeted. The pillar of light will follow you around for a few seconds and then shoot down a giant light laser. This is easy to avoid just by dodging or running right before the pillar of light locks on.

The other attack you have to look out for is when Gnoster charges at you. Gnoster will also simultaneously shoot out magical projectiles directly in front as it gets closer. Don’t make the mistake of trying to dodge backwards, as Gnoster will surely mow you down. Instead, continuously roll or run to the side. Gnoster will typically charge at you three times in a row before stopping.

In addition to these new attacks, Gnoster will also sometimes still use the attacks they had when they were separated, like the poison mist and the earth spike ones.

Stick to these tips to avoid its damage, continuing laying on damage and eventually, Gnoster will go down and you’re one step closer on your way to conquering the other Nightlords.

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June 4, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

‘You shall main Wylder Spooderman’: An Elden Ring Nightreign player has found the best Wylder setup 55 hours in, letting them use their grappling hook every 4 seconds

by admin June 4, 2025

Every Elden Ring Nightreign character has a bevvy of interesting and useful perks tied to their name. At first, you may think that the most helpful aspect of every Nightfarer is their minor and major skills, but the more you play, the more relics come in clutch.

You earn relics through expeditions, you don’t even have to beat the Nightlord to get a few after you finish, but if you do, you get more. These are then sorted into three colours, red, blue, and yellow. Depending on what slots you have, you can then assign yourself three relics before your next expedition. There are some truly powerful relics in Nightreign which can grant you great bonuses and buffs—and with great power comes great responsibility.

Especially for Reddit user OFurthestBenO who took a look at what the game had given them, and said screw it, “After 55 hours of gameplay, the game decided ‘you shall main Wylder Spooderman’ … It’s not perfect, but my god I feel like I can just use the grapple hook the entire game.”

From Software Promises Enhanced Boss Fights, Duo Expeditions For Elden Ring Nightreign

by admin June 4, 2025

From Software’s latest game, the multiplayer co-op Elden Ring Nightreign, launched last week, welcoming 2 million players in less than 24 hours. Today, publisher Bandai Namco revealed the player count has leaped to 3.5 million alongside news that duo expeditions are coming to the game in the future.

The team also says that in addition to DLC releasing later this year, new things will be added to Nighreign, like enhanced boss fights against Nightlords starting this month.

“On the dawn of the fifth day, 3.5 million Nightfarers took up arms against the Night in Elden Ring Nightreign. We are ever grateful for your passion,” a post from the Elden Ring X account reads. “But the night is far from over. In addition to the DLC releasing later this year, new additions will be gradually implemented, including enhanced fights against existing Nightlords starting this month, as well as Duo Expeditions at a later date. Thank you for your support.”

Confirming that duo expeditions are coming to Nightreign is exciting, especially as matchmaking for trios is tough, and playing solo is even tougher. From Software released a patch yesterday that should make the latter easier, though.

For more, read Game Informer’s Elden Ring Nightreign review, and then check out Game Informer’s Elden Ring Nightreign beginner tips and tricks. After that, read about how a live-action Elden Ring movie in development is circling Heartstopper’s Kit Connor as its lead.

Do you want duo expeditions? Let us know in the comments below!

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June 4, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

Elden Ring: Nightreign offers no technical progression – and doesn’t properly support PS5 Pro

by admin June 3, 2025

Following its brief network beta in February we now have the final release of Elden Ring Nightreign, giving us a fresh chance to assess the console versions. To cut to the chase, there is both good and bad news for console users. The positive side ultimately comes down to Nightreign’s winning gameplay design because, against all the odds, developer FromSoftware’s multiplayer spin-off works surprisingly well. Barring ongoing issues with network latency during its first week – causing lag on NPC reactions after a strike at points – this is a well crafted, Fortnite-inspired twist on Elden Ring. The combat mechanics are instantly familiar, and there’s plenty of strategic depth as you spend a one hour session levelling up in anticipation of a Night Lord boss. It compels repeat attempts, and crucially, rewards a trio of players to co-ordinate their character builds towards that final point.

On the downside there’s the state of Nightreign’s technology. This is really nothing new to those familiar with FromSoftware’s Elden Ring engine, and how it operates on consoles. Its optimisation on PS5 and Xbox Series machines is still disappointing and, much like the network beta, the game continues to often fall short of a target 60 frames per second while exploring the Limveld map. Added to that, there is no support for PS5 Pro. The PlayStation store page makes no mention of enhancements for Pro hardware even on release, and that bears out in our tests where there are no extra modes or optimisations of any sort. It simply runs the base PS5 code, which, as I’ll get to, does at least yield some benefits in frame-rate and image quality depending on which graphics mode you use. Finally, it’s worth noting that the ray tracing mode – included in the main Elden Ring game to allow RT shadows and ambient occlusion – is still absent in Nightreign all round which is a shame.

In terms of how the consoles compare, FromSoftware sticks to its tried and tested settings from the network beta. PS5, PS5 Pro and Series X each run at a fixed 4K in their quality modes – while the frame-rate mode uses a dynamic setup that drops their resolution to 1440p lowest in order to better hit 60fps. On the other hand, for Series S, 1440p is a fixed target on its quality mode, while the frame-rate mode allows for a 1008p to 1440p range to improve performance. Beyond resolution differences all machines run at identical settings with a few exceptions. Firstly, comparing PS5 and PS5 Pro, the Pro side has a small benefit in image quality. By running the base PS5 code on more powerful hardware, PS5 Pro tends to hit higher numbers along that 1512p to 4K range. On average it’ll trend higher, though this only applies to the frame-rate mode of course, and shadows, textures, and world draw are identical.

Here’s the video breakdown for Elden Ring: Nightreign, tested on PS5, PS5 Pro, Xbox Series X and Series S… with a dash of PS4 for good measure.Watch on YouTube

Secondly, the Xbox Series consoles show a greater divide in visual quality. The 4TF Series S inevitably takes a bigger visual downgrade in comparison to Series X: it runs with lower resolution global shadows, plus a dropped ambient occlusion setting – affecting the shading under grass. Most visible, of course, is that drop to a 1440p target. Honestly the turnout is still more than acceptable for Series S, and using the opening tutorial area to match weather and time of day, you’re getting the full fat Nightreign experience otherwise.

In fact, this is a far better scenario than the last-gen releases. Taking base PS4 as an example – which wasn’t available for testing in the network beta – the overall playability of Nightreign suffers quite a bit by not playing on the latest wave of systems. On PS4 you get significantly dropped shadow quality, and dropped foliage density when compared to PS5. It runs at 900p typically (lower than the 1080p found in the main Elden Ring game), and performance is significantly worse than the base game too. It’s targeting 30fps with uneven frame pacing, though in practise, the range is 20-30fps, with a lot of play typically at the midway point.

Switching to current-gen performance testing today, there is sadly no significant boost since the network beta four months ago. Using base PS5’s quality mode for example – with a fixed 4K resolution value – we still have a 35-50fps range of frame-rate while circling the Roundtable Hold. Actual combat around Limveld tends to be even more taxing, but the hub area gives us a way to perfectly match conditions between the network beta and final build. It’s a broadly identical readout too, though there is one curious exception: parts of this hub area have been altered, opening out new areas in the final game and with extra light points and volumetric fog added in one room. As a result performance in this specific spot drops from 45fps in the network beta down to 39fps in the final build, which is expected given the increase in load.

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Generally speaking though, using the Roundtable Hold, there’s been no provable performance upgrade or downgrade in the interim since the beta. Switching to PS5 Pro, comparing the network test against the final build shows much the same issue, though Pro was always least much closer to the 60fps mark on quality mode.

Ultimately, using the quality mode makes no practical sense on any console. Base PS5 in typical open world play runs at a lower 30-45fps range, with drops into the 20s also possible while dropping from the sky. You won’t even see a flash of 60fps while looking directly upward, to theoretically lower GPU load. Xbox Series X follows the same trend with a matching readout to base PS5 – 30-45fps with potential drops under using quality mode – making it a write-off. Series S meanwhile runs at a much more restrictive 30-40fps range, but essentially hugs the 30fps line for most of a round, again with drops into the 20s. And finally, PS5 Pro fares best with a 40-60fps range, which while an improvement over the rest of the console quartet, is still outside the ideal VRR range to mask drops.

This isn’t good enough, and the fixing at a 4K resolution – as crisp and sharp as it is – just doesn’t justify this performance penalty. With all consoles compared in a matched tutorial run, PS5 Pro comes out best with a 47fps reading, while PS5 and Series X occupy a midway point at 35fps, and Series S trails behind at 32fps.

Without a specific patch to support the hardware, PS5 Pro’s advantage is limited to a boost in performance while using Nightreign’s quality mode – plus a small image quality improvement in the frame-rate mode.

The easier mode to recommend is still the frame-rate mode. Base PS5 runs at between 40-60fps, which still does not easily slot into the ideal VRR range. Long passages of play, especially by the dying embers of a round, veer towards the lower end and visibly lurch to 40fps. Series X has the exact same range, but given that Xbox consoles do have a wider VRR window to work to (40-60Hz, versus the 48-60Hz on PS5 systems), there is some flexibility to adapt. It’s a much smoother, less visibly juddering experience as a result – if your display supports VRR. Even Series S benefits in this sense, with so much of its performance running at between 40-60fps, keeping up pace with the other machines.

Last up is PS5 Pro. To its credit, the Pro hardware produces a 50-60fps range most of the time, which does fit nicely within Sony’s nominated VRR range. The only snag is sharp 40fps lurches while exploring Limveld, which occur in some rounds more frequently than others, and stick out clearly. In relative, matched tests using our Roundtable Hold route, PS5 Pro in theory has the upper hand with a tighter adherence to the 60fps target, while PS5 and Series X hover just below and Series S landing at around 50fps.

Despite having the final release of Nightreign in hand, there’s so much left to be desired on the technical front. The remixing of Limgrave’s locations to forge Limveld creates a perfect playground for its shortened one hour online experience – but performance on current-gen is still lacking. My recommended pick is the frame-rate mode, and ideally on an Xbox Series system where VRR is more flexible to handle a 40-60fps range. PS5 Pro meanwhile gets to the theoretical best frame-rates, purely by running the base PS5 code on a more powerful GPU – but it’s a disappointment and there is no official Pro patch in place.

It sets a worrying precedent for a new release to neglect Pro hardware entirely, and even as an off-shoot to a major game I expected more. I’m hopeful we’ll see FromSoftware come round to the idea, since so many of its games could benefit from Pro support, but Nightreign isn’t that breakthrough moment. The state of affairs with the final release is sadly as we left it in the network test: it’s unquestionably enjoyable – a mad concoction of ideas that somehow ties together. But regardless of console or mode, 60fps performance is all too often out of reach.

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June 3, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Want to improve your Elden Ring Nightreign runs? You should really stop sleeping on your consumable items

by admin June 3, 2025

I’ve been playing a lot of Elden Ring Nightreign… and I mean a lot. At the time of writing, I’ve ploughed around 70 hours into chaotic Expeditions and touching Remembrance quests, experimenting with what each Nightfarer is capable of and getting to know the Nightlords all too well.

Still, this has nothing on how much time I’ve spent playing Elden Ring. Both solo and via Seamless Co-op, I’ve sunk hundreds of hours into The Lands Between. In all that time, however, there is one thing I often neglected and rarely used: consumables. Cleansing Boluses, Throwing Pots, Warming Stones, and Boiled Crabs are just a few of the items left to waste away in my inventory for the rest of time.

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Nightreign throws these items at you often, and while you can forgo them for Smithing Stones and expensive Physicks and still have a successful run, these consumables – and the power-up they appear to have had in Nightreign – can make troubling fights and Nightlords that bit easier. And who doesn’t love throwing a pot at a big, beastly boss and watching it cancel its attack as a result, saving your teammate from almost certain death? It’s a rush!

Now, one of the first things I purchase during a run – after spending Runes on my first few levels – is an Item Pouch from a Merchant. More consumables? Yes, please. After this, it becomes a mission to pick up all of the Throwing Pots and Grease that I can that caters to our chosen Nightlord’s weakness. Let’s not forget Cleansing Boluses either, which when consumed, provide a permanent Resistance buff. Perfect for all those Deathblight and Poison ruins scattered around Limveld!

Let’s say I am queued up against the big, three-headed wolf that is Tricephalos, who’s notably weak to Holy Damage. Not only is my main goal for the Expedition to find a weapon with a Holy affinity, but to pick up and hold tightly onto any Holy Water Pots or Holy Grease I can get my hands on, just in case. Maybe I don’t find a Holy weapon in time and this is all I’ve got, or maybe one of my teammates is less lucky, so I can hand over all of my Holy Grease to them pre-Nightlord to maximise our chances of winning the fight.

Image credit: Bandai Namco/FromSoftware

There’s also Exalted Flesh and Boiled Crab, with the former buffing your attack and the latter buffing your physical damage negation quite significantly for a time. If your pouches are empty, these never go amiss, especially if the character using these buff consumables happens to have Nightlord Augur’s Relic equipped, which causes used items to confer effects to nearby allies. This means that when you enter a fight or stagger a boss, one player can pop their consumables while the others attack, and everyone will benefit from the buff. Similarly, one thing most Nightfarers can’t get enough of is Stamina, and what helps with this in a pinch? Pickled Turtle Neck. I can’t get enough of the stuff.

Last, but not least, Warming Stones and Starlight Shards. These two consumable items are situational, but taking two Warming Stones into a Nightlord fight is never a waste. Given just how huge the arenas are, it’s often quite easy to throw a stone down and stand over it – regaining your HP slowly – while your team aggros the boss. This saves you using a flask, allowing you to take part in the fight for even longer and have a better chance of winning.

Likewise, Starlight Shards are a must-have for any class that uses FP (such as the Revenant), as they’ll refill a good portion of your FP bar instantly, unlike the base game, where Starlight Shards restore FP very slowly. And that’s a running theme with Nightreign’s consumable items: they’re so much more powerful than they ever were in Elden Ring or Shadow of the Erdtree, and thus, genuinely make a difference and are highly useful to any Expedition. Your pouches aren’t needed for the Spectral Seed or Spirit Summons, so go wild lining your pockets with consumable items!

Image credit: Bandai Namco/FromSoftware

Throwing Pots alone can do a good chunk of damage to a boss, which the Duchess can then restage if you have her on your team, or you can simply use them to aid with the Frost stacks or Poison build-up that your teammates are currently working on. Playing around the weaknesses of Nightlords is also vital in Nightreign, and these particular items help you with doing that, giving you an extra, much-needed boost for taking these formidable opponents down at the end of your Expeditions.

Next time you see a Fire Pot or some Boiled Crabs, pick them up. Don’t let your consumables go to waste and don’t hesitate to switch things out of your pouches as you find items better for your particular Nightfarer or the Nightlord you’re coming against, you never know whether that handful of Warming Stones, stack of Starlight Shards, or those few Exalted Flesh buffs may make the difference between winning and losing an Expedition…

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June 3, 2025 0 comments

Elden Ring Nightreign director says Fromsoft "kind of overlooked and neglected" playing as a duo, but 2 player-friendly "post-launch support" is being considered

Game Reviews

Duo Expeditions will officially come to Elden Ring Nightreign, as the game passes 3.5 million players

by admin June 3, 2025

Elden Ring Nightreign launched missing many, many features most of us expect in modern multiplayer games. The co-op action RPG is designed for three players, and that’s about the only optimal way to play it.

There’s no option for Duos, and though you can start the game’s Expeditions (runs) as a solo player, you’re not going to have a fun time. But, FromSoftware is seemingly listening, and the developer just announced some major news.

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Earlier today, the FromSoftware revealed (via the official Elden Ring Twitter account) that the game has surpassed 3.5 million players. The wording of the tweet does not specify whether those were actual sales or simply just player numbers.

Seeing as Nightreign has been doing very well on Steam – making it FromSoft’s second-biggest launch ever, 3.5 million copies sounds very plausible when you keep in mind other platforms, too.

Alongside this news, the developer also shared some early details about a number of features currently in the works, which will arrive in the game at various points in the future. Firstly: Duos. Yes, the ability to play Nightreign with just one other player – something modders are already working on making possible – is being worked on.

The announcement did not say when we can expect Duo Expeditions to arrive, offering nothing beyond “at a later date” as the release target. This is the studio’s first official acknowledgement of the desire for a Duos mode, which is good to see.

In twos they [will soon] come. | Image credit: FromSoftware

The game’s most recent patch, which arrived yesterday, made things a little less frustrating for solo players – even if the game remains very much not designed for solos. More tweaks in that vein are in the works, too.

Something else you can expect to see later this month are “enhanced fights against existing Nightlords,” which is just the type of vague language FromSoft loves to use. There’s also the previously-announced DLC, which is set to arrive later in the year.

If you’re knee-deep the game right now, our Elden Ring Nightreign guide is one worth bookmarking. Even if you’re already on top of your Executor, and Revenant builds, you’re going to find plenty of useful info to help you wrap your head around those map events, how to unlock skins for your characters and much more.

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June 3, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Elden Ring Nightreign: Best Smithing Stone Locations

by admin June 3, 2025

With its blend of the soulslike and roguelike genres, Elden Ring Nightreign can be an overwhelming game to adjust to. It takes time to figure out how everything works and where to spend your time most wisely on the map.

The Most Sought After Elden Ring Sword Has A Storied History

One of the most important things to think about on each run is whether to upgrade a weapon you really like or hold out hope that a better, more powerful option will drop before the end of your run. Make the wrong choice, and you could be in a bad spot against the final boss of an expedition.

This is why you’ll sometimes want to visit an anvil near a merchant to level up a weapon you like with Smithing Stones. While you can’t get a weapon to Legendary rarity using this method, you can at least reach Epic rarity, making you a far more deadly foe to any future baddies you encounter. If that sounds good, here’s where to find Smithing Stones in Elden Ring Nightreign.

Where to get blue Smithing Stones in Elden Ring Nightreign

Screenshot: FromSoftware / Billy Givens / Kotaku

Smithing Stone [1] is a blue-colored stone used to upgrade a Common (white) rarity weapon to Rare (blue) rarity. These can be purchased from any merchant, found randomly in chests, or looted from corpses.

You’re likely to find at least a few of these stones during most expeditions, so unless you need them, be sure to share them with anyone who is falling behind in power early on.

Where to get purple Smithing Stones in Elden Ring Nightreign

Screenshot: FromSoftware / Billy Givens / Kotaku

Smithing Stone [2] is a purple-colored stone used to upgrade a Rare (blue) rarity weapon to Epic (purple) rarity. These can only be found by killing a specific boss enemy within one of the mines located somewhere on the map.

Screenshot: FromSoftware / Billy Givens / Kotaku

Each mine has a different boss type, such as an easy knight with a shield, an annoying Pumpkin Head enemy, or a bigass troll. Taking them down won’t take too long with a good team and a few levels under your belt, but the claustrophobic showdown can still lead to easy mistakes, so approach each of

Furthermore, remember that you’ll need to navigate the maze-like interior of the mine to come across these foes, so make sure you’ve got plenty of time to find them before setting off underground. If you get caught inside a mine when the rain comes through, you may be kissing your expedition goodbye. A purple greatsword isn’t going to do you much good if you’re dead, after all.

Elden Ring Nightreign is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows PCs.

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June 3, 2025 0 comments

A cloaked Elden Ring Nightreign character stands before an armored character with a golden light behind them

Gaming Gear

Singleplayer Elden Ring Nightreign is no longer hell to play, but it’s still a compromised game of 30-minute boss runbacks

by admin June 3, 2025

I am Mr. Antisocial Souls⁠—I don’t play many multiplayer games in general, and FromSoft’s offerings have always been, for me, private affairs. So I’m just as surprised as anyone that Elden Ring Nightreign’s multiplayer focus has really hooked me.

I still thought I’d be playing solo at least half the time until I realized that Nightreign’s singleplayer experience elevates all the game’s flaws to their maximum annoyance level. Two patches have made the solo experience about as good as it can get, I reckon, at least within the specific, run-based format FromSoftware has created. If the queue’s taking forever and none of your friends are online, it’s an option.

Alternatively, if you’re a challenge run YouTuber or you’ve got an unhealthy relationship with these games and a certain prideful streak, I can’t deny there’s a “lemme get one more shot at this guy” appeal here. I’m afraid I’m now in too deep and I will solo the Darkdrift Knight, RNG be damned.

What’s still busted?

I’ve got three main gripes with Nightreign overall: Its opacity and borked UI, the frustration of a wasted run and long runback to a boss, and the game’s cruel, often borderline trolling RNG. They’re all made much worse with the isolation and added pressure of solo play.

The game’s refusal to explain basic systems is certainly exacerbated if your first few runs are solo, as was my experience, but that naturally becomes less of an issue as you get more time in. The boss runback⁠—the amount of time between a checkpoint and a boss room for repeat attempts⁠—is something FromSoft has concertedly minimized with each new game, to the extent that it’s barely even a concern in Elden Ring.

Still preferable to playing solo. (Image credit: FromSoftware)

Nightreign, with its half-hour roguelike runs, is Boss Runback: The Game. While rewards for dying to the Nightlord have been improved with the latest patch, losing a run in Nightreign still feels worse than in any roguelike I’ve played⁠—I’d chalk this up to how much of the difficulty is weighted toward the final boss. After a certain point, you’re only really losing runs that have progressed all the way to day 3.

Not having allies to support and revive you adds to the ludicrously high stakes, and no matter how much damage tuning FromSoft does, the Nightlords in particular were designed with three players in mind. Losing to a boss that feels like it was designed for a trio, knowing it’ll take another half-hour for another shot, and not having anyone to commiserate with is just an awful feeling.

Then there’s the RNG question: One of the most fundamental, “You got Nightreigned” experiences is loading into a run only to find that there are few⁠—or even zero⁠—camps on the map with a guaranteed drop of the elemental weapon type the Nightlord is weak to.

I tested out the new patch today, and across two solo runs as archer Ironeye against the lightning-weak Darkdrift Knight, I only had three lightning camps spawn on the map⁠—one in the first run, two in the next.

None of them produced a lightning bow for my archer character. Nightreigned yet again.

What’s gotten better?

FromSoft’s patches have done an admirable job mitigating the frustrations of solo play, and absent work on a structurally more solo-friendly experience⁠—which just doesn’t make sense, given Nightreign’s focus⁠—I think it’s as good as it’s going to get.

(Image credit: Tyler C. / FromSoftware)

Self-revivals have been very well-balanced: You get one freebie each climax fight (night one boss, night two boss, Nightlord), and every merchant carries a Wending Grace item for sale providing one more revive. You can only buy one during the first two days, with the final, day three merchant having one more. This means you get two revive opportunities per night boss, and three in the final fight.

The balance of enemy health in solo play also now feels much closer to base Elden Ring⁠—I don’t feel like I’m plinking away at raid boss health pool meant to stand up to three players anymore. Faster level-ups in solo play help make up for your inherently slower camp-clearing without friends to back you up.

Nightreign’s hit its natural ceiling for solo play, with a severely compromised experience, but a viable one. The whole reason I’ve been on a solo Darkdrift Knight kick is to complete Ironeye’s final remembrance quest, and solo play is, overall, a reasonable way to blow through remembrances without inconveniencing other players⁠—or having a Discord call talking over a dramatic story beat.

There are just a lot of caveats even for me, Mr. Antisocial Souls, so I can hardly recommend Nightreign as a solo experience to someone without the Souls Sicko emotional handicap.

It works best as a supplemental gametype. If I were to prescribe a tolerable dose… maybe 15% of your total playtime? It’s another matter, though, if you aspire to the lifestyle of a challenge run YouTuber. Sekiro god Ongbal soloed Nightreign’s final boss just two days after launch, and now has a video of them soloing every Nightlord in the game. The rest of us mortals are probably going to have a lot more fun with a team.

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June 3, 2025 0 comments

Esports

What is the leave penalty in Elden Ring Nightreign?

by admin June 2, 2025

Image via Bandai Namco Entertainment

It depends. On something.

Published: Jun 2, 2025 12:02 pm

Even though Elden Ring: Nightreign can be played solo, the real heart of the experience lies in its online co-op mode. You’ll want to stick together as a team to have a greater chance at defeating the foes scattered across the land of Limveld.

Sometimes, your team members just aren’t worth spending 40 minutes with, and it’s reasonable to be tempted to leave mid-run. But what happens if you pull the plug on a disastrous expedition? Here’s how you’re penalized for leaving an active expedition in Elden Ring: Nightreign.

Leave penalty in Elden Ring: Nightreign

If you leave an active expedition in Elden Ring: Nightreign, you may be penalized for an unspecified duration and will not be able to access matchmaking until the penalty period is over.

Are you sure? Screenshot by Dot Esports

That said, my experience with trying to get penalized was unsuccessful. For the sake of this guide and science, I abandoned three different consecutive sessions and was warned about being penalized every single time. However, despite the warnings, I was able to continue matchmaking without a hitch.

I guess I’m above the law. Screenshot by Dot Esports

So, while there is definitely a penalty system in place, it isn’t exactly that strict, or even consistent. There are reports of users being restricted from matchmaking for around 10-15 minutes, but like I said, I was safe despite breaking the law several times.

I don’t recommend leaving every other session, but if you’re struggling to communicate or just can’t be bothered, there isn’t any major harm in leaving a session.

Also, from what I can tell, if you’re thrown out of a session due to a technical error, it doesn’t count as a penalty in Elden Ring: Nightreign.

Can you rejoin a session after leaving in Elden Ring: Nightreign?

Yes, if you leave a session in Elden Ring: Nightreign, you’ll be given the option to rejoin it from the main menu after you hit continue.

Can you really show your face, though? Screenshot by Dot Esports

If you cancel at this point, you’ll return to the Roundtable Hold and start a new session. If the session you left is unavailable, you’ll be sent to the Roundtable Hold as well.

Overall, the punishment for leaving a session in Elden Ring: Nightreign isn’t exactly a big concern. You might be timed out for a few minutes, but it isn’t something to lose sleep over. From Software might increase the penalty severity in a later patch because the wording is still pretty vague, and there is room for increasing the penalty duration if it becomes a widespread problem.

That said, I don’t think it’s their main concern at the moment. If you do feel like leaving a session, though, maybe throw in an emote before exiting. Nothing like a random gesture to show how much this betrayal means to you.

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June 2, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Elden Ring Nightreign: Where To Find Talismans

by admin June 2, 2025

There are multiple ways to get talismans while exploring Nightreign’s large, ever-changing map. However, there’s one way you can get a guaranteed choice between three talismans on every run, giving you a really great chance to snag something that is useful to you. You’ll just have to visit the map’s big castle and clear out a boss to reach it. Here’s how to make it happen.

The Most Sought After Elden Ring Sword Has A Storied History

How to find a guaranteed talisman in the castle during every Elden Ring Nightreign expedition

One of the best ways to get a talisman is from the castle in the middle of the Limveld map. Here, you’ll find one of a few variations of enemy types, each offering a lot of runes and solid loot drops that can help you be better prepared for upcoming bosses.

Screenshot: FromSoftware / Billy Givens / Kotaku

It’s a good idea to knock out your castle run during the first day, so head there around level four or five. Clear out the main enemies around the castle first if you’d like, as that will net you a nice chunk of additional runes. Next, head down into the lower section just inside the front gate where the broken bridge is located. You’ll know you’re in the right spot if there are some jellyfish floating about.

Screenshot: FromSoftware / Billy Givens / Kotaku

When you drop down into this area, keep an eye on the side of the walls down here for an opening. It’s hard to miss, as it’s located right beneath the crumbled bridge. Hop inside and follow the linear path to a boss room.

Screenshot: FromSoftware / Billy Givens / Kotaku

There are a few different boss types that can appear in this room, but none of them are particularly difficult for a team that is at least level four or so. Beat it down, loot what it drops, and then make your way through the exit that was previously covered in fog.

After you jump some cages and follow the stairs up, you’ll eventually come to a room with a chest directly ahead. Open it, then check the loot for a choice between three talismans. These will be random, of course, so there’s always a chance you won’t get something all that great. But here’s to hoping you get exactly what you’re looking for.

Screenshot: FromSoftware / Billy Givens / Kotaku

Oh, and when you’re ready to leave the castle, walk over the pressure plates in front of either of the giant gates to open them. I wouldn’t send you into a trap, after all.

The only time you won’t be able to access the castle is when Noklateo, the Shrouded City, is active during a Shifting Earth event. But the rewards in the city are equally impressive, if not considerably better, so it’s worth heading down there on day two and clearing it out to get beefed up for the final boss of the expedition.

Also, keep in mind that you can get other random talisman drops from killing the silver scarabs located throughout the map. So, you and your pals will have other opportunities to get kitted up if you take the time to find and shake down these little fellas.

Elden Ring Nightreign is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X, and Windows PCs.

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June 2, 2025 0 comments