As a long-time Souls and Elden Ring fan, surprisingly Nightreign's launch almost passed me by yesterday. I already knew despite my affinity with the franchise, that the pace of this game was probably not going to be for me. However, the player numbers are making me pause for thought, as Elden Ring Nightreign crashed into the top of the Steam charts with a peak of over 300,000 concurrent player within a mere hour of launch.
This cements it as one of the biggest PC game launches of 2025, trailing only behind Schedule 1 and Monster Hunter Wilds. This doesn't take into account the vast numbers of players who will be playing the title on Xbox and PlayStation consoles.
Despite mixed reviews and some notable criticisms, the numbers don't lie, and clearly there's always going to be rabid hunger for any new entry in the Souls lineage.
RELATED: Elden Ring Nightreign review ⭐⭐⭐⭐
An impressive start
To put the numbers into perspective, Elden Ring Nightreign has already outperformed the combined Steam peak player counts of Dark Souls 2 (79,528) , Dark Souls 3 (129,975) and Dark Souls Remastered (24,501).
Of course, Elden Ring was the most successful by a long stretch, being the game that redefined the studio's reach and breaking into the mainstream, hitting over 950,000 concurrent players. But it's clear Nightreign is continuing that momentum with gusto with these numbers (313,593 at current count).
It's not all smooth sailing
While the player numbers are impressive ahead of the weekend, the same can't be said for the user reviews. With a "mixed" rating on Steam, Nightreign is FromSoftware's second lowest rated title on the playform, surpassed only by the lukewarm reception to the Ashes of Ariandel DLC for Dark Souls 3.
The reviews indicate a polarizing experience, particularly for those accustomed to solo play or the slow and deliberate pacing of traditional Soulslike games, though I'd expect many to research the game before heading in rather than assuming it will be a bog standard Soulslike title. Nightreign doesn't follow the standard formula, and they haven't hidden this fact in the advertising.
Nightreign starting out with big numbers, 300K+ concurrents, but pretty mixed early takes. Almost without fail it's complaining about a severe lack of communication options in a co-op game, and no ability to play duos. Same as most reviews said pic.twitter.com/mPKirjsC67May 30, 2025
One of the more genuine complaints centre around the format of the games multiplayer. Designed for 3-player co-op, the lack of a duo mode or meaningful solo balancing has left many players frustrated. Solo adventureers describe the experience as punishing (go figure), and a dislike for the ring system forcing a frantic pace that detracts from exploration and careful combat.
Many lament the absence of in-game communication tools, such as voice or text chat, with makes coordinating with random teammates nigh on impossible. You seem to really need a good friend group and be in a party to play this game, and that leaves some gamers out in the cold.
Every reveiew: "dont play this game solo" from r/Nightreign
Nightreign has also received some technical criticisms, with players noting that the 60 FPS cap, lack of ultrawide support and performance issues are glaring in a 2025 release. All of these issues combined with what some say is clunky combat and a frustrating resurrection mechanic have lead to accusations of the game feeling 'half-baked' or overly reliant on Souls nostalgia.
It's still a bold start and I've full faith in FromSoftware's ongoing support for the game
Despite the mixed reviews, it would be remiss to lay the credit of the high player count solely as a result of hype or misplaced expectations. Many players are genuniely enjoying Nightreign's roguelite mechanics, larger-scale multiplayer battles and reimagined boss fights. For me at least, I'm enjoying watching streamers play the game, even though I know it's probably not for me. The game does deliver some really great moments of triumph amongst those who can actually form a cohesive team.
Nightreign is still a bold experiment for FromSoftware. It shifts the studio's traditional formula away from what we expect of them into something a lot more fast-paced. Nightreign does not have the same slow-burn exploration of it's predecessors. The new direction won't appeal to everyone, but the early player numbers show it's appealing to a substantial enough audience willing to embrace the new format.
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