Bosses have become FromSoftware's bread and butter. Boss fights are often viewed as the culmination of a game's combat mechanics, progression systems, and visual/audio presentation, as well as being the ultimate test of a player's strength and ability to persevere through challenge. Huge, spectacle boss fights have become a major draw of FromSoftware's games, and they remain a key selling point of Elden Ring Nightreign.
A 3-player co-op game with roguelike elements, Elden Ring Nightreign will see players dashing across the region of Limveld, picking up loot, killing enemies, leveling up, and gaining enough strength to eventually take on the big, bad Night Lords. Along the way, players will face off against a plethora of bosses, some new and some returning, not just from Elden Ring but from Dark Souls as well. It's unconfirmed just how many Dark Souls bosses will return in Nightreign, but there are a handful who are probably off the table regardless.
Elden Ring Nightreign's DLC Bosses Should Extend to FromSoftware's Farthest Reaches
The boss variety of Elden Ring Nightreign is one of its most fascinating factors, and FromSoftware could really push the boat out on who is included.
Environment-Focused Dark Souls Bosses Might Not Make Sense for Elden Ring Nightreign
Dark Souls Is Home to a Handful of Environment-Based Puzzle Bosses
The Dark Souls trilogy is home to almost 100 bosses, many of which are considered some of the best video game bosses of all time. From corrupted humanoid knights to gigantic otherworldly beasts, many of Dark Souls' best bosses would suit Elden Ring Nightreign's 3-player co-op formula well. But there are a select few whose inherent premise might not align with Nightreign's world design.
In each Dark Souls entry, there are one or two bosses whose visual design and moveset are directly tied to the environment they're found in. Dark Souls' Bed of Chaos is a perfect example of this, with players needing to avoid its sweeping attacks and destroy the orange orbs found at the side of the arena. Dark Souls 2's Executioner's Chariot is a similar environment-based boss, clattering around the circular arena and requiring the use of gates to bring it to a standstill.
Dark Souls 3 also features a few of these non-traditional puzzle bosses, with H igh Lord Wolnir being the most obvious example. Players need to avoid Wolnir's attacks and army of skeletons, and destroy the golden bangles danging from his bony arms, all before the encroaching black fog consumes them.
Why Environment-Based Bosses Might Not Work in Elden Ring Nightreign
Taking place in the mysterious parallel world of Limveld, Elden Ring Nightreign's semi-open-world map will feature procedural generation that sees various structures and level layouts from Elden Ring's base game get remixed.
According to Elden Ring Nightreign's recent previews, most of the game's bosses (aside from Night Lords) will appear in randomized locations around its map, not in tailor-made arenas but out in open fields or inside generic structures. Bosses like Morgott, for instance, appear at random intervals and hunt players across the map's open areas, rather than remain in a handcrafted location.
This randomized approach means that Dark Souls' more environment-based bosses are likely off the table for Elden Ring Nightreign, as it wouldn't make sense to feature them without their arenas and the resulting gameplay mechanics that are integral to their fight.
Elden Ring Nightreign
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 80 /100 Critics Rec: 78%
- Released
- May 30, 2025
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, From Software
WHERE TO PLAY
"ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN is a standalone adventure within the ELDEN RING universe, crafted to offer players a new gaming experience by reimagining the game’s core design.
Join forces with other players to take on the creeping night and the dangers within featuring 3-player co-op.
Take command of uniquely skilled heroes, each possessing their own abilities and distinct flair.
While individually formidable, their skills create powerful synergies when they unite as a team.
Overcome a relentless environmental threat that sweeps through a land that changes between each game session and defeat the magnificent boss of that night!"
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Number of Players
- 1-3
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- PC Release Date
- May 30, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- May 30, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- May 30, 2025
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Soulslike, Roguelite
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
