After the recent announcement of the reveal trailer, raising questions about further connections to the Soulsborne universe and what can or should be considered canon.
Fortunately, the game's director offered insight into the possible connections that Nightreign will have with Elden Ring and whether its events will ultimately contradict or influence the original story. Nightreign is ultimately promised to serve as a separate, standalone experience from Elden Ring, but one that runs in parallel to the events of the original. The connections between the two games stem from the Shattering in Elden Ring, a core turning point that ultimately brought chaos upon the Lands Between. Luckily for those die-hard lore enthusiasts, it's unlikely that Nightreign will have any impact on the existing Elden Ring lore.
What A Parallel Elden Ring Universe Means For Lore
Nightreign Takes Place After The Events Of The Shattering
In an interview between IGN and game director Junya Ishizaki, Ishizaki clarified that Nightreign's "story is completely separate and parallel to the world of Elden Ring’s," meaning there is a completely alternate reality taking place alongside Elden Ring that will have its own unique set of lore-establishing narratives. From this statement, it's evident that both Elden Ring and Nightreign are technically canon in the Elden Ring universe and simply exist in parallel realities after the Shattering occurred. Each reality will have its own established connections to canonical characters, but these wouldn't necessarily contradict each other despite potential overlap.
Elden Ring Nightreign: Release Date, Platforms, Trailer, Gameplay & Story Details
Elden Ring Nightreign was announced with a trailer, but more information is still coming, including a release date, and platform and gameplay details.
The decision to place Nightreign in a separate but parallel reality allows it to establish its own lore while simultaneously explaining the appearance of familiar characters, bosses, and areas. The director also clarified that Nightreign is set "after the events of the Shattering" and that "this is a completely separate branch of the Elden Ring story." This caveat implies that there could be some connection between the two stories rooted in pre-Shattering lore, which is an already somewhat difficult period to parse due to vague details. However, the director also stated that Nightreign should not "encroach" on the existing story.
Elden Ring Nightreign Could Be The Closest Chance For A Bloodborne Remaster Yet
With Nighreign incorporating elements from past Souls games, there's a chance assets from Bloodborne could make their way into The Lands Between.
Ultimately, Nightreign being set in a parallel universe after the Shattering means that Elden Ring's lore will not change or be altered in any way, and to suggest otherwise is to misunderstand the concept of a branched reality. The Shattering can be viewed as a splitting-off point, where Nightreign's narrative goes down a different pathway than Elden Ring's. Director Ishizaki makes it clear Nightreign is a standalone spin-off of Elden Ring, and both storylines are able to coexist simultaneously without contradicting each other. Like it or not, it's unlikely Nightreign will answer any lingering questions fans might have about Elden Ring's lore.
What It Means If Nightreign Lore Is Not Connected To Elden Ring’s
Nightreign Is A Separate Story With Different Lore Than Elden Ring
If Nightreign's story has no impact on Elden Ring's, there is no need for debate about what is and isn't canon — both are canon in their own right. Nightreign will be able to build its own unique, detailed narrative and therefore establish its own lore by using pre-Shattering events as a basis. Some details in Nightreign that provide insight into what happened before the Shattering may also shed light on Elden Ring's established lore, but would not change or alter anything. However, Nightreign isn't likely to focus on pre-Shattering events, given the director's intentions to avoid established lore.
Nightreign will exist in its own reality, allowing the game to explore alternative storylines for any familiar character from the Lands Between. This new parallel reality has absolutely no basis in the lore that George R.R. Martin influenced, as stated by the game's director, so that might explain why characters from the Dark Souls universe are also showing up. Nightreign will build its lore around a core set of character and boss backstories and has the freedom to incorporate familiar icons and allow players to experience them anew. Characters in Nightreign do not exist in the same form in any other reality.
Pros And Cons Of Having Two Branches Of Lore
Alternate Universes Aren't Every Tarnished's Cup Of Tea
Not everyone will be a fan of the branched-lore approach to Nightreign's narrative. Arguably, Elden Ring's lore was already convoluted and difficult enough to understand for most players, and this branching of new lore adds another layer to that complex puzzle. For those who obsess over Elden Ring's lore, Nightreign's spin-off still appears to be a deconstruction of something great, and possibly a missed opportunity to resolve a few of those outstanding mysteries from the original masterpiece. Further, the gray area related to pre-Shattering events seems like a frustrating and unnecessary muddying of the waters.
Elden Ring: Nightreign Will Be A Fully Standalone Game, Not A Live Service Game, Says FromSoftware
Shortly after the surprise announcement of Elden Ring: Nightreign, the game's director has confirmed that the title will not be a live service game.
Nonetheless, the new branch of lore opens up vast possibilities for new narratives, characters, and locations that are built for veterans and newcomers alike. A departure from the classic Soulsborne storytelling experience will bring in a new wave of players who may not have been keen on Elden Ring's difficulty level, style of gameplay, or complex narrative structure. Utilizing assets from both the Dark Souls and Elden Ring universes and reinventing them for Nightreign is an unprecedented approach to FromSoft game design and is an exciting evolution of the larger franchise, for better or worse.
"Nightreign has broken free from the restrictions that Elden Ring's established lore created."
Whether or not players embrace Nightreign's branched lore and parallel reality, it will be established as part of Elden Ring's larger canon. It remains to be seen if narrative will matter much at all to the majority of Nightreign's players or if the game's storytelling approach might be more effective than the original in clarifying the specific details of its branch of lore. In a sense, Nightreign has broken free from the restrictions that Elden Ring's established lore created, and this allows it to be more precise, exact, and explicit with each storyline and what it adds to the larger narrative.
Source: IGN / Bandai Namco
Elden Ring Nightreign
- Released
- May 30, 2025
- Developer(s)
- From Software
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, From Software
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Number of Players
- 1-3
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- PC Release Date
- May 30, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PC
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