Elden Ring Nightreign's DLC Announcement Follows A Disturbing Trend

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Elden Ring Nightreign is an incredibly fun and frustrating experience that stumbled out of the gate a bit due to a few essential missing features. Fortunately, FromSoft has been receptive to player and has already started rolling out new updates to address these issues, such as an improved and re-balanced solo mode, the introduction of a potential doubles mode in the future, as well as improvements to existing Nightlord and other boss fights. However, they've also announced that DLC is coming later this year, which in my view points to a larger problem in the industry.

While DLC and a Duos mode in Nightreign are exciting and introduce a lot of potential avenues for expanding the base game, the game's state at launch would need to have been immaculate to justify a DLC announcement this early. Many players haven't even decided if the game is worth purchasing at this point due to the reported issues, much less whether they're interested in possible DLC expansions in the future. An announcement of a DLC this soon is putting the cart before the horse, and the impression this leaves is that studios are misprioritizing things and shooting themselves in the foot.

Nightreign Has DLC Plans But The Base Game Was Missing Key Features

It's Hard To Believe Features Such As Duos Or Voice Chat Were Overlooked

While it's great that Nightreign is rolling out improvements to the most complained-about missing features, the simultaneous announcement of a DLC reminded me too much of a completely unrelated yet equally troubled 2025 launch, Sid Meier's Civilization 7. While these games couldn't be any more different, they were both released with some essential features being completely absent while also having plans for a DLC before the game even properly launched. These are far from the only examples of this release model, and it's definitely not a new approach to creating long-term interest.

"If players feel they aren't getting their money's worth with the base game, what are the chances they're going to invest in a DLC?"

The issue with this model is that it requires the core game to be pristine and to deliver a seamless experience at launch, attracting players who will be committed to purchasing future DLC expansions because they are invested in the core gameplay. Nightreign only needed a few obvious tweaks to be the best version of itself that it could be at launch, and releasing in an unfinished state may have permanently turned players off to a game they otherwise might enjoy. If players feel they aren't getting their money's worth with the base game, what are the chances they're going to invest in a DLC?

Nightreign DLC Doesn't Work Without Dedicated Players

DLC Is Great If The Base Game Is Also Great

It's becoming obvious just how vital a clean base game is before releasing and announcing DLC components, as evidenced by this year's surprise hit, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's reluctance to announce a DLC before they tighten up the bugs in the base game. Games like Civilization 7, on the other hand, shoot themselves in the foot by relying on a long-term DLC model for sustainability. Civ 7 lost a majority of its player base in the first few months after launch, leaving nobody left to purchase the many DLC expansions they have planned.

Duchess from Elden Ring Nightreign next to a character from The Duskbloods.

After Elden Ring Nightreign's Launch, I'm Scared For The Duskbloods

Elden Ring Nightreign’s launch has been plagued with performance issues, and I’m not confident FromSoftware will make strides before The Duskbloods.

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I hope that Elden Ring Nightreign avoids the same pitfalls with its future DLC launch, and if they can win the hearts of players still on the fence, it's likely anyone who gets the base game and enjoys it will end up purchasing the DLC when it comes out. However, Nightreign "tarnished" its reputation by releasing without key features that would have either kept players around or even interested a wider audience if they were included at launch. For Nightreign's DLC to be successful, it will need to improve its basic multiplayer and matchmaking abilities and earn its players' trust over time.

Elden Ring Nightreign Missed Its Biggest Opportunity

Two player cooperative multiplayer should have been a feature of Elden Ring Nightreign, as it would have brought in a whole new set of players.

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Overall, DLC is not the problem here. It can be an extremely effective way to keep players interested in playing the game over the long term. However, games should not be dependent on DLC to garner interest or be successful, nor should DLC be a priority over creating the best base game possible. Elden Ring Nightreign has a ton of potential for great additional content. I just wish it had been released in a more complete state and that the DLC announcement had been delayed until after the base game was in its best form.