Intricately detailed dodges — FromSoftware reportedly spent a record time prototyping The Duskbloods’ gameplay

The game is slated for release in 2026 and will be exclusive to the Switch 2.

According to reliable Chinese journalist Giwin, The Duskbloods received approval well before 2019 — in other words, prior to the start of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice’s marketing campaign. The project then spent a significantly longer period in prototyping and gameplay validation than any other title in the studio’s history.

The title is presented as a PvPvE experience with “numerous innovative features” that the developers are particularly proud of. Among the highlighted systems are a contracts mechanic, so-called “nemeses,” and several different win conditions.

In April 2025, Hidetaka Miyazaki told Nintendo in an interview for the Creator’s Voice series that The Duskbloods was originally developed by a small team as an exclusive for the original Nintendo Switch. The shift to the Switch 2 apparently opened up new technical possibilities and contributed to the extended prototyping phase.

Source: iXBT.games