The Duskbloods confirmed to be a PvPvE title with multiple protagonists

We knew we were getting more information on FromSoftware's The Duskbloods today, as the Japanese developer promised a Creator's Voice article from Nintendo. This has just landed and provided a three page interview with game director and FromSoftware boss Hidetaka Miyazaki.

While the three-part article (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3) has plenty of information that will appease the FromSoftware fan in your life, one of the key elements in relation to The Duskbloods comes in what the game actually is. Miyazaki confirms that this will be a PvPvE experience and that "at its core, it's an online multiplayer focused game, with both player vs player and player vs enemy gameplay."

Miyazaki explains why they went down this route, noting: "I've always found the PvPvE structure very interesting. It allows for a broad range of game-design ideas, while also letting us leverage our experience of designing challenging enemy encounters."

But for those concerned about what this direction means for the future of FromSoftware, he also explains: "As previously mentioned, this is an online multiplayer title at its core, but this doesn't mean that we as a company have decided to shift to a more multiplayer-focused direction with titles going forward."

Otherwise, on top of talking about the expected weird and wonderful storyline and the fabulous Victorian and Gothic-inspired setting, Miyazaki also affirms that The Duskbloods offers a collection of playable characters. We're told: "Yes, there are over a dozen characters for the player to choose from, each with their own identity and appearance. I think there are a lot of unique elements to the character designs and the weapons they use, so hopefully players can find one or two favorites among them. Also, each character can be customized to a certain extent, allowing players the fun of building a character that feels like their own."

The online multiplayer for The Duskbloods will support up to eight players and will have role systems that affect the action, including one that enables players to be matched up and tasked with killing each other. Miyazaki explains that these roles are similar to tabletop roles, but that the core gameplay doesn't revolve around these, instead it's about completing dedicated tasks like slaying a boss enemy.

Lastly, Miyazaki commented on their "Nintendo-esque" character, the winged rat that we saw in the trailer. The famed Japanese creator explained more about this character, adding the following: "That character shares a similar role with the fire keepers from the Dark Souls series. They remain in the hub area, providing the player with advice and guidance. I suppose you could say we tried doing something a little Nintendo-esque in the spirit of the partnership. We tried something cute for a change. Although I will say this character is actually an elderly gentleman (laughter)."

The Duskbloods doesn't currently have a firm release date, but we do know that it will be launching on Switch 2 in 2026.