FromSoftware Sets The Duskbloods Network Test for August 21-23

FromSoftware has announced a network test for The Duskbloods, giving Nintendo Switch 2 owners a chance to try the studio's next multiplayer project ahead of its eventual release. The test is scheduled to run August 21-23, 2026, and applications open later this month, giving a limited number of players early hands-on access to the game before launch.

Registration Opens July 22

Players interested in taking part can apply starting July 22 at 7 AM PDT, with the application window closing on July 28. An active Nintendo Switch Online subscription is required to be eligible, and the test itself is limited to owners of the Nintendo Switch 2. Getting in is not guaranteed, however. FromSoftware has indicated that access to the pre-release build will be limited to a selected group of participants rather than opened to everyone who applies, an approach the studio previously used when it ran a network test for Elden Ring Nightreign ahead of that game's launch. Anyone who wants a shot at trying The Duskbloods early should expect the same kind of application-and-selection process, rather than guaranteed entry once they sign up.

What the Test Covers

Those chosen will get early hands-on access to a pre-release build of The Duskbloods, which FromSoftware describes as a "PvEvP Souls-like" — a label the studio has used to describe Souls-style games built around both player-versus-environment combat and player-versus-player encounters. Per the announcement, the test session itself is meant to "test game balance, server load, and other issues" ahead of the multiplayer title's wider release.

Release Window Still Unconfirmed

FromSoftware has not announced an official launch date for The Duskbloods, and nothing beyond the network test has been confirmed. Reports suggest the game could still arrive sometime in late 2026, and some speculation points to a roughly three-month gap following the network test, a pattern that would place a release around late November. That timing would potentially put The Duskbloods near the reported launch window for Grand Theft Auto 6. Other reports raise the possibility that the game could instead slip into early 2027. None of this has been confirmed by FromSoftware, and until the studio says otherwise, all talk of a release date should be treated as speculation rather than fact. The network test gives selected players an early hands-on chance with The Duskbloods ahead of launch, and its results could shape how the finished game is balanced and tuned before release. For now, the only dates FromSoftware has confirmed are the July registration window and the August 21-23 test itself; everything about when the full game will actually launch remains unofficial, and any specific date should be treated as speculation until the studio says otherwise.