Elden Ring: Nightreign breaks records but struggles with criticism. Why is the mood falling short of expectations and what are players saying?
Elden Ring: Nightreign has had a rocket launch on Steam – with over 313,000 simultaneous players. But while player numbers are exploding, the mood in user reviews is surprisingly subdued: Only 67 percent of Steam reviews are positive, which is a minor sensation for From Software – but in a negative sense. What’s going wrong?
The biggest criticisms from the Steam community
Table of Contents
No duo co-op
Probably the most discussed problem: Nightreign lets you play solo or in groups of three, but not in pairs. So if you only have one friend to play with, you either have to go into battle with a random third player or give up altogether. Many would like to see a classic duo mode, but this is not yet available.
Lack of communication options
If you don’t play Nightreign with a fixed group of three, you’ll quickly reach your limits: There is no text or voice chat. This makes coordinating with random teammates a real challenge – sharing items, discussing tactics, or simply reacting quickly to danger? No chance! Many players complain that the game feels much worse without external voice tools such as Discord.
The poor technology
There’s also a lot of technical backlash:
- The game is limited to 60 FPS – a no-go for many PC gamers with high-end hardware in 2025.
- Ultrawide support is completely lacking, which is annoying for owners of widescreen monitors.
- The mouse and keyboard controls are described as imprecise and cumbersome. A controller is almost a prerequisite.
- Cross-platform play is also missing.
Many comparisons to the original game
Quite a few fans would have preferred a classic DLC in the style of Shadow of the Erdtree. Nightreign is sometimes perceived as too shallow or not soulslike enough
, and for some, it feels more like a cheap spin-off than a full-fledged From Software game.
Despite the criticism, Nightreign is a commercial hit – the player numbers speak for themselves. Many also praise the new co-op concept and the mix of roguelike and soulslike elements, especially when playing with two friends. However, the numerous weaknesses detract from the fun for many, even if they find the new concept promising.
