Bloodbornereleased ten years ago for the Playstation 4, becoming an instant classic, and it seems that FromSoftware is chasing its coat-tails with the announcement ofThe Duskbloods. Dripping with blood-soaked imagery, nightmarish creatures, and a familiar Victorian gothic look,The Duskbloodscould be the spiritual successorBloodbornefans have been hoping for.
WithKhazanout,Nightreignreleasing in May, andThe Duskbloodsreleasing in 2026, Soulslike fans are utterly spoiled for choice. But this announcement feels extra special, asBloodborneoften ranks very highly on gamers’ favorite Soulslike lists, so anything that can capture that magic is sure to be something spectacular.
The Duskbloods Looks Like an Unofficial Bloodborne 2
Unexpectedly revealed at theNintendo Switch 2 Direct,The Duskbloodsappears to be a totally new IP from Hidetaka Miyazaki’s studio. Already though, people have been drawing comparisons between it andBloodborne, and it isn’t hard to see why.
Both games feature blood as a core pillar of their identities. WhereThe Duskbloodsgoes further is by involving vampirism explicitly, with a character taking a bite out of an enemy’s neck. Blood passing from character to character also seems important to the lore, as the unidentified woman speaking inThe DuskbloodsNintendo Direct trailermentions she will “give you my blood” to impart life, leaving a sigil wound on their hand.
Beasts are present, with the new trailer depicting several large and terrifying new enemies. A large beast-looking enemy holds the player character up at one point in what appears to be a boss fight. The trailer shows off a wide variety of strange enemy types, but it’s not obvious yet if themes of blood and beasts are connected the way they are inBloodborne.
Probably the first thing that screamed theBloodborneVictorian gothic aesthetic. Slender spires, filigreed detailing, and a blend of industrial-monastic architecture. Interestingly,The Duskbloodsseems to be taking a slightly more steampunk approach than evenBloodborne. There’s a train, a rapid-fire pistol, and even a jetpack, which might mean the setting is closer to the late industrial revolution than Yharnam.
Moon Phases and Cyclical Storytelling Are Back
Early in the trailer, an unknown woman can be heard saying, “Turn a wheel, and transport him to a night of moonlight, to humanity’s very dusk.” There are enormous lore implications from this line and how the world works, but inferring from past FromSoftware games there are some similarities. Cyclical narratives have been at the center ofDark Souls’ Age of Fire,Elden Ring’s ages, and crucially,Bloodborne’s Great One hunt.
This time the cycle is manifesting as a wheel, which marks the player character, and the impetus is on them to be the one to turn it. Wheels are symbolic of both cycles and forward motion, which is reflected in her words that indicate transport to a final destination. Evidently, moon phases play a huge role in the story.Bloodbornetook place over one night as the sun set, and theblood moon descended on Yharnam. Whether it plays out the same inThe Duskbloodsis unknown, but moonlight is seemingly something desirable. However, the big question is who could be “him” in this context, and what is meant by “humanity’s very dusk.”
The Duskbloods’ Gameplay Evokes Bloodborne’s Fast Pace
Swords and guns are also back in play, as based on the Direct trailer, it appears that one ofBloodborne’s most popular play stylesis making a return. Action looks to be just as fast, too, if not more so, with the player seemingly jumping off a building from very high up as well as leaping through the air to unload their firearm.
One thing that might be different is character kits. Although it is hard to tell right now, the trailer implies that there may be a roster of characters to pick from instead of each one being unique to every player. Each character has very specific loadouts and abilities shown off, and given the focus on PvPvE multiplayer, the game may be using a system likeNightreign’s roster of characters. This is purely speculation until more is revealed about the game, though.
Ironically,The Duskbloodsis a Switch 2 exclusive about blood, vampires and guns, which means there is yet another Victorian gothic Soulslike by FromSoftware that is locked to one particular platform. It’s probably a similarity that people who were not intending to buy a Switch 2 didn’t wish for, but it is certainly an interesting coincidence. Fans have long been speculating on aBloodborneremaster and PC port, and the same questions are certainly going to be repeated in the years afterThe Duskbloods’ debut.
