Elden Ring Nightreign Is Removing One of the Franchise’s Most Popular Features

FromSoftware has revealed that it is removing one of the most popular features from Elden Ring in the upcoming co-op spin-off Elden Ring Nightreign. Compared to its predecessor, Nightreign is going to be a more scaled-down version of Elden Ring that will center around gameplay sessions that are only meant to last a little under an hour. FromSoftware isn’t letting players loose in a vast open-world to explore like it did in Elden Ring and is instead trying to funnel them toward larger engagements. As a result, this change of format is going to result in a system that has been present in all of FromSoftware’s Soulslike games being done away with.

In an interview with IGN Japan, Elden Ring Nightreign director Junya Ishizaki confirmed that the messaging system in Elden Ring will not be present in Nightreign. This feature is one that FromSoftware introduced all the way back in Demon’s Souls and has continued to use it in Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring. Now, with Elden Ring Nightreign, Ishizaki says that messages will no longer be included as sessions are too short for players to task themselves with reading or writing messages for other players. Despite this, the ghosts of other players will still be present and will be spread throughout Nightreign.

“You can still see the ghosts of other players, but the ability to leave messages has been removed,” Ishizaki said. “The reason we removed the message function is that in this game, where each session is about 40 minutes long, there is no time to write your own message and no time to read messages written by others.”

While the removal of messages in Elden Ring Nightreign might upset some longtime Soulslike fans, it’s hard to disagree with FromSoftware’s reasoning behind the move. Given that Nightreign is a game that is meant to prompt more direct communication between players, there’s really no need for a system like this in the game. Still, it will make Nightreign far less funny compared to Elden Ring as many players only ever used the messaging tools to troll or make jokes when possible.

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For now, there is still not a lot that we know about Elden Ring Nightreign. The game is currently scheduled to release in 2025 and will come to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC. An initial playtest for Nightreign will transpire in February, with sign-ups for this trial beginning later this week.