FromSoftware's Duskbloods is a massive break from 23 years of tradition

One of the most anticipated Nintendo Switch 2 games in 2026 is DuskbloodsFromSoftware's latest soul-like game that features eight-player PVP and PVE gameplay. Although FromSoftware is not known for its Nintendo console support, games such as Dark Souls Remastered and Fire Ring to Nintendo platforms long after their release on other systems, Duskbloods is set to be exclusive to Switch 2. With the release of Duskbloods later this year, FromSoftware will finally break its 23-year trend of avoiding exclusive Nintendo games.

Taking clear inspiration from FromSoftware's previous games such as Blood borne and Ring of Fire: Nightreign, Duskbloods follows characters known as the Bloodsworn in a gothic fantasy setting. Similar Ring of Fire: Nightreignplayers will choose which class of Bloodsworn to play as, and each has its own unique weapons and abilities. While players will be able to customize their characters to a degree, the player's chosen Bloodsworn will affect the role they play during a match.

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FromSoftware's Duskbloods is getting an encouraging update

Developer FromSoftware is addressing The Duskblood's development, and it seems like good news for those waiting for the Nintendo Switch 2 game.

The Duskbloods will be the first FromSoftware game exclusively for a Nintendo console since 2003

FromSoftware hasn't been synonymous with Nintendo for a long time, but that doesn't mean the two companies haven't collaborated in the past. Before FromSoftware became entrenched in the soulslike genre after the release of Demon's Souls and Dark soulsits most notable games came from King's Field and Armor core franchise agreement. Outside of these two series, FromSoftware also released a variety of other RPGs, many of which never made it outside of Japan, but among these releases was a duology of GameCube exclusives that marked the last time the developer collaborated with Nintendo for a console exclusive.

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Duskbloods doesn't have an official release date yet, but FromSoftware has remained committed to a 2026 launch window.

Lost Kingdoms: FromSoftware's Forgotten GameCube Card-Based Action RPG Series

Lost Kingdoms and its sequels, Lost Kingdoms 2released on the GameCube in 2002 and 2003 respectively, leaving a gap of 23 years between the last time FromSoftware had a Nintendo console exclusive and Duskbloods. While FromSoftware's auteur game director and architect of the developer's modern library, Hidetaka Miyazaki, didn't work on Lost Kingdoms game, it's easy to see where much of the foundation for what was to come Demon's Soulsand eventually Dark soulswas added with these games. But the real hook of Lost Kingdoms series is its card-based combat system, which combines with active combat to create a unique deck-building action RPG.

The Tale of Lost Kingdoms

For longtime FromSoftware fans, the basic premise of Lost Kingdoms will sound familiar: a mysterious mist envelops the land of Argwyll and demons emerge from it. The King of Argwyll sets out to find the source of this mist and stop it from consuming his kingdom, with the main character, Princess Katia, following her father soon after he leaves. She brings the Realm Runestone with her, so she can use cards for battle. As Demon's Souls and Dark soulsthe use of mist as a barrier between the human and demon realms is a common theme that Lost Kingdoms parts, and it establishes a motif that other FromSoftware games would use in the future.

Lost Kingdoms 2 set centuries after the first game, where Katia of Argwyll is regarded as a heroic queen. This sequel instead focuses on a new protagonist, Tara Grimstone, who also has the ability to use cards for battle via the same type of Runestone that Katia possessed. A large part of Lost Kingdoms 2 is the exploration of the Runestone's origins, although the gameplay is still very similar to the original.

The Gameplay of Lost Kingdoms

Card-based RPGs were strangely popular in the early 2000s, especially on Nintendo's platforms. While the Game Boy Advance had Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories 2004 saw the GameCube Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean was released the same year. But the previous two years also saw card-based RPGs on the GameCube, with both The Lost Kingdom games with this fighting style.

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Identify the wrapper while scraping off as little foil as possible.

Scratch & Peek

Identify the wrapper while scraping off as little foil as possible.

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Lost Kingdoms uses a similar user interface to FromSoftware games such as Demon's Soulswhere the four cards in the player's hand are assigned to a specific button arranged in a diamond shape on the screen. Players use these cards during active combat encounters to cast skills, but a card is consumed once played. This means that players are encouraged to collect more cards either by buying or convincing defeated enemies to become cards in their deck. This creature collection mechanic provides Lost Kingdoms game almost feels like Pokémon or Shin Megami Tenseiallowing players to use enemies they encounter for their own purposes.

Also like these creature-collecting JRPGs are Lost Kingdomss elemental system, which features a rock-paper-scissors-style trumping mechanic for combat. Each card has a different elemental type: fire, water, earth, wood, and neutral, with mechanical added as another type i Lost Kingdoms 2and each has the type advantage over another. This mechanic adds another layer of strategy Lost Kingdomss combat, meaning players will constantly need to evaluate their deck to overcome flaws as they work their way through the game.

How The Duskbloods will inherit the legacy of lost kingdoms

Despite being primarily a single-player game, Lost Kingdoms contains a multiplayer element. The original game features a two-player PVP mode, where players can battle each other using separate decks. Although this is far from the eight-player game Duskbloods features, it follows the trend of FromSoftware games, including an element of multiplayer in single-player-centric games.

The legacy that Duskbloods stands to inherit most from Lost Kingdoms is its unique Nintendo experience. Given that card-based battle systems were popular among Nintendo's exclusives back in the early 2000s, it's clear to see how Lost Kingdoms established its identity as a mix of FromSoftware staples with a Nintendo feel. The Switch 2 is undoubtedly one of the best platforms for multiplayer, given its portability and reasonable Nintendo Switch Online price. So it makes sense Duskbloods would once again blend the iconic qualities of FromSoftware games with one of Nintendo's strongest selling points for its current console generation.