The Duskbloods won’t make its 2026 window. FromSoftware announced on October 29 that its Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive is moving to 2027, and it didn’t name a month, a quarter, or a date. Nintendo’s US eShop listing already shows 2027.
The game never had a firm release date, only “2026,” so nothing specific got pushed. But with two months left in the year and no date announced, Switch 2 owners who hoped to play FromSoftware’s multiplayer game this holiday will now wait until 2027 at the earliest.
What FromSoftware said
The studio posted the news on The Duskbloods’ official X account at 7am Pacific. “While development of ‘The Duskbloods’ is at the final adjustment stage, we have made the decision to move the launch window to 2027,” it wrote. “We apologize to players who have been kindly awaiting the release of this title and thank you for your patience and support.”
A follow-up post gave the reason, and it points straight at the August network test: “During the network test, we saw active interest in the core concepts of the game, including combat, strategic depth, and player expression. To further enhance these aspects, we have decided to move the launch, allowing time for final adjustments to game rules and balancing.”
The notice on the game’s official Japanese site adds a little more. It says network test players responded to the idea that the game isn’t only about direct fights, with room for different approaches and strategies, and that FromSoftware wants to deliver on that at a higher level. To get there, it’s setting aside time for final tuning of the rules and balance. That’s a balance and design delay by the studio’s own account. It doesn’t mention servers, content, or performance.
What The Duskbloods is
The Duskbloods was revealed in the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct in April 2025, and Hidetaka Miyazaki is directing it. It’s a PvPvE online game for up to eight players. You play one of the Bloodsworn, people given supernatural abilities by their blood, and fight for what the game calls First Blood. Other players are your main rivals, but the maps also have CPU enemies and bosses, and alliances between players can form and fall apart mid-match.
In Nintendo’s Creator’s Voice interview, Miyazaki said most matches are last player standing, but some victory conditions turn on beating a powerful boss instead. Matches are scored with Victory Points, and you don’t have to win fights to earn them. Players who avoid direct combat and play opportunistically can still score. Between matches you return to a hub to pick and customize your character, and you get rewards whether you win or lose.
That mix of fighting, opportunistic play, and scoring is what FromSoftware says it’s tuning now. In a game where one player can win without swinging a sword, the rules and point values decide whether a match feels fair, so it makes sense that’s the part getting more time.
What Switch 2 owners should know
The Duskbloods is still a Switch 2 exclusive. Nintendo’s listing says online play needs a Nintendo Switch Online membership, and it supports TV, tabletop, and handheld modes. There’s still no price, no pre-orders, and the ESRB rating is listed as pending.
The game also didn’t appear in Nintendo’s September Direct. FromSoftware hasn’t said when the next look will come.
What we still don’t know
The big missing piece is the date. “2027” could mean early in the year or late, and the studio hasn’t narrowed it down. There’s also no word on another network test before launch. For now, the only firm detail is the year.