The Duskbloods: Everything We Know After FromSoftware's Network Test

FromSoftware's next game finally got hands-on with players this month — and immediately ran into server trouble. Here's the full picture.

What happened

FromSoftware ran a closed network test for The Duskbloods on Nintendo Switch 2, scheduled for sessions between August 21 and August 24, 2026. Players who signed up reported getting stuck at the main menu, unable to log in. FromSoftware cancelled the first day's session outright to work on server stability before resuming testing.

What we know

• The game: An eight-player action RPG mixing PvP and PvE, set in a dark fantasy world where players pick from over a dozen vampire-like "Bloodsworn" characters, each with unique weapons and abilities, competing across different maps.
• Platform: Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive.
• Release status: Still planned for 2026 worldwide — Kadokawa's own financial report reaffirmed the release window even as the network test ran into trouble, addressing player concern that the test's rocky start might signal a slip to 2027.

UPDATE — August 22, 2026

The first day-one session was cancelled due to login issues; FromSoftware has not yet announced whether the remaining scheduled test days (through August 24) will proceed as originally planned or be pushed back to compensate. We'll update this article once FromSoftware confirms.

What this means

A rocky first network test day isn't unusual for a game this early in public testing — server load issues are exactly what closed tests exist to catch before they become launch-day problems. The more notable story is FromSoftware and Kadokawa explicitly reaffirming the 2026 window in the middle of that trouble, which suggests the login issue was treated as a fixable infrastructure problem, not a sign of a deeper production delay.

What's next

Watch for FromSoftware's follow-up on the remaining test sessions, and for a formal beta or release-date announcement later in 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Is The Duskbloods delayed to 2027? Not according to FromSoftware or publisher Kadokawa — both have reaffirmed a 2026 release as of this test.

What platform is it on? Nintendo Switch 2 exclusively.

Is it a Bloodborne sequel? No — it's a new, separate IP from FromSoftware, though its vampire-adjacent dark fantasy setting has drawn obvious comparisons.

Sources: Game Informer, Vice