Elden Ring's Nightreign Director Apologizes for Neglecting Duos

Elden Ring Nightreign will soon allow players to enter the ever-changing realm of Limveld, where they can explore and battle for survival alone or in teams of three. However, if you prefer playing in pairs, it seems you’ll need to be willing to welcome a third companion.

In an interview with IGN, Elden Ring Nightreign director Junya Ishizaki explained the decision to focus on solo and three-player experiences as the main options. When asked why duos can’t drop in together without a matchmade third player, Ishizaki admitted it was an oversight.

"The straightforward answer is that we simply overlooked including a dedicated two-player mode during development, and we sincerely apologize for that," Ishizaki stated. "As mentioned earlier, our goal was to create a multiplayer co-op game balanced for three players—that vision lies at the heart of Nightreign."

"Of course, as a player myself, I understand the desire for solo play, and we took that into consideration from the beginning," Ishizaki continued. "We invested significant effort into designing a rewarding solo experience within the game’s rules and systems. In focusing heavily on that, we unfortunately neglected the duo aspect—but it's something we're evaluating for post-launch support."

So if you plan on playing with just one trusted partner, prepare to open your squad to a random third player. You never know—you might end up matching with someone incredibly skilled.

For those venturing alone, Elden Ring Nightreign appears to accommodate solo play. Ishizaki mentioned that the game’s parameters "adjust dynamically based on the number of players in a session," meaning lone adventurers won't face overwhelming odds.

Solo players can discover self-revive mechanics integrated specifically for single-player runs. Meanwhile, three-player squads will experience Nightreign as it was primarily designed. Whether duo support is added later or not, having an extra ally can only help when confronting the terrifying bosses that await.

Elden Ring Nightreign launches on May 30, 2025, for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.