FromSoftware has just issued a very peculiar teaser for Elden Ring Night Reign, and the hype train is galloping away in full force now. The tweet shows what could very well be a new dragon boss, pale, crystalline, and enormous, followed by the caption: “A pallid mist rose from the Night-ancestral, absolute. Colder than death were the shadows that spread from its ruinous wings.” And gamers, they are honestly going insane!
Over 30 comments erupted within a few minutes into the replies sections, with things ranging from hype to hilarious comparisons. Some have been calling this “the return of Seath the Scaleless” from Dark Souls, while others joked it was “Velkhana and Kushala Daora’s lovechild” (shoutout to Monster Hunter fans). But seriously, this horror drops in exactly one week, with pre-orders already available.
With so much community reaction, some genuinely golden moments can be found. Notpeterparker: “Fucking called it that it was a seath like dragon,” and llinops went with, “Seath the Scaleless! Yessss!” with some very fitting hype GIFs. Mystery went ahead and added some vacation days to the calendar for the release, so some of these fans are really committed. The debate is still on as to whether this is a reborn Seath or a brand new Nightlord boss, while NooB_Lycan brought in clarity: “The Nightlords are new bosses.”
So, here’s the juicy conclusion: Several individuals assumed it was some sort of DLC first, before getting it right. AaronClover: “I’m reinstalling Elden Ring to play this DLC,” followed by Joshy Maddocks fact-checking him: “It’s not DLC; it’s a spinoff game.” It’s understandable confusion, given just how seamlessly Night Reign looks to be stitching together with the Elden Ring lore.
The gameplay implications based on what was let out via the replies hold some really interesting mechanics. After azurthedragon sounded a note of caution about forced co-op, it was confirmed by several players that indeed, you can play solo while the enemies scale down. TakSan1744115 commented, “a duo mode is planned as an update after launch,” and CryptikCanajin added, “You can play solo, and the enemies are scaled back.” So good news for all those souls with mixed feels that want to suffer… I mean, triumph alone.
In terms of aesthetics, this dragon is top-notch proof that it’s all for.FromSoftware veterans. With its pale, almost translucent wings and crystalline body, fans were drawing comparisons to many iconic bosses throughout the entire Soulsborne lore. NeonSlice called it “Ice Eater Midir,” while Greatsword Enthusiast dubbed it “The Cooler Borealis.” Thus, its design is exactly what fans love about FromSoft’s creature work- equal parts beautiful and terrifying.
With seven days exactly until the launch, the hype has reached boiling point. WilliThunder_ summed it up with “This few days needs to go fast,” along with a pacing GIF. Meanwhile, arsenordenirn said, “I wasn’t going to purchase the game this week, but this made up my mind.” A lot from a very well-made teaser.
With just one creature concept, FromSoftware can build much hype better than most. With speculations, the community is driven crazy. Whether it is the actual spiritual successor to Seath or something entirely different, Night Reign is certainly going to ooze that Soulsborne magic. Let the countdown begin, and by the looks of these reactions, the servers might very well crash on day one.
