FromSoftware is finally letting outsiders touch The Duskbloods. The studio has confirmed a closed network test for its Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive running August 21-24, 2026, with sign-ups opening the week before — the first real chance to see how the multiplayer systems Hidetaka Miyazaki’s team has been building since Elden Ring shipped actually hold up online.
It’s a meaningful moment for a studio that built its reputation on solitary suffering. The Duskbloods is FromSoftware’s first game built around player-versus-player combat at its core, and a closed network test — rather than an open beta anyone can join — signals the developer wants controlled conditions before it opens the servers to the public. For Switch 2 owners still deciding whether the console’s exclusive lineup justifies the price of admission, this is the closest thing to a hands-on preview they’re going to get before launch.
What’s Confirmed So Far
Nintendo and FromSoftware have locked in the basics. The test runs across several sessions between August 21 and August 24, 2026, and participation requires a Nintendo Switch 2 console plus an active Nintendo Switch Online membership — original Switch owners need not apply, since the game is built exclusively for the newer hardware. Selected players will need a Nintendo Account in good standing to redeem their download code once invitations go out.
Capture and sharing tools will reportedly be locked during the test sessions, a standard move for closed network tests meant to keep unfinished builds off social media before FromSoftware is ready to show more.
The Duskbloods Closed Network Test: Dates and Registration Window
Sign-ups open July 22, 2026, at 7:00am PDT and close July 28, 2026, at 6:59am PDT — a six-day window, not a rolling one, so late applicants are out of luck. FromSoftware plans to notify selected participants on August 7, 2026, with download codes following on August 18, 2026, giving invited players a few days to install before the test sessions begin on August 21.
Registration happens through the game’s official campaign site rather than the Nintendo eShop, and accepted applicants aren’t guaranteed a slot in every session — FromSoftware has structured the test across multiple time blocks spanning the four days, likely to spread server load rather than run one continuous marathon.
What FromSoftware Is Actually Testing (PvP/PvE, Server Load)
The format itself is a departure. The Duskbloods supports up to eight players in a single match, described internally as “PvPvE” — players fight each other for survival while roaming AI-controlled monsters and bosses interfere, occasionally flipping the objective from mutual destruction to a forced, temporary alliance against a shared threat. It’s closer to a survival battle royale filtered through FromSoftware’s usual punishing combat than anything in the Souls or Elden Ring catalog.
According to Shacknews, the sessions exist to check game balance, verify how the servers handle real concurrent load, and confirm the multiplayer experience stays smooth once actual players — not internal QA — are hammering the netcode simultaneously. That’s a very different kind of test than a demo meant to generate hype; this one is explicitly about finding what breaks before millions of copies are in the wild.
What This Means for The Duskbloods’ Full Release
Notably absent from any of the announcements: a release date. FromSoftware and Nintendo have only confirmed The Duskbloods is coming to Switch 2 sometime in 2026, and a closed network test this close to the back half of the year suggests the studio is still validating core systems rather than polishing a finished product. Network tests typically land months before launch, not weeks, so a 2026 release remains the safest assumption rather than a guarantee.
The Duskbloods will join a growing lineup of titles proving Nintendo’s newest console can pull real system-seller weight — another Switch 2 exclusive arriving this year, and it’s worth watching how its online performance compares once more multiplayer-heavy titles start stress-testing the hardware. Between this test and ports like Xenoblade Chronicles 2, FromSoftware’s project is quickly becoming part of Switch 2’s growing exclusives library — one Nintendo is leaning on hard to justify the console’s price. That price is already a sore spot for some shoppers: the Switch 2 price increase to $499 means every exclusive, including this one, now carries a little more pressure to prove it’s worth the investment.
How to Sign Up
Players interested in a shot at the closed network test need to apply through the official campaign site once registration opens on July 22. The process requires a Nintendo Account and confirmation of an active Nintendo Switch Online membership — FromSoftware hasn’t detailed exactly how many applicants will be accepted, only that selection notices go out August 7. There’s no cost to apply and no purchase required to enter, though a Switch 2 and an NSO subscription are non-negotiable prerequisites.
Anyone who misses the July 22-28 window will need to wait for a future test phase or the eventual public release — FromSoftware hasn’t said whether a second network test is planned, and closed tests like this one are typically a studio’s only pre-launch stress test before servers go live for good.
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