While it’s perhaps not the game most FromSoftware fans are hoping for, it’s fair to say that The Duskbloods is one of the most hotly anticipated titles announced for the Nintendo Switch 2. Like previous release Elden Ring Nightreign, The Duskbloods is another multiplayer-focused action RPG, albeit with elements reminiscent of Bloodborne. It’s certainly a mysterious title, and one that Nintendo and FromSoftware fans are keen to find out more about ahead of what is rumoured to be a 2026 release. (Although it seems more likely that it will come out in 2027.)

Fortunately, a brief teaser trailer during the latest Nintendo Direct conference, coupled with a handful of FromSoftware posts on social media have shed more light on what fans can expect from The Duskbloods, and when we can go hands-on via the upcoming network test.

The Duskbloods Closed Network Test release window

At the end of the recent Duskbloods Nintendo Switch 2 trailer, FromSoftware announced plans to hold a Closed Network Test for the online multiplayer game this summer.

Much like the release of the third GTA 6 trailer, we have a very specific window for when this Closed Network Test will take place.

Summer officially begins on June 21 in the Northern Hemisphere, which means we could be treated to the Closed Network Test later this month.

It’s worth noting that the Meteorological Summer ends on August 31, while the Astronomical Summer ends on September 23 in 2026. I think it will fall within the Meteorological period, and will debut in either July or August.

What is a closed network test and how do we take part?

Unfortunately, a Closed Network Test is much more limited than an open beta. While the latter gives everybody with the appropriate hardware the ability to take part, a Closed Network Test is usually invite-only.

Typically you need to sign up in order to be considered for an invite, although FromSoftware is yet to officially announce the entry requirements for The Duskbloods.

One thing we do know for sure is that the small print from the latest Duskbloods trailer mentions the need for a Nintendo Account and Online membership for online play. It could be that everybody with a Nintendo Switch Online membership could gain entry to the Closed Network test, or perhaps it will be exclusive to +Expansion Pack subscribers.

Either way, you might want to sign up for a Nintendo Switch Online account sooner rather than later to give yourself the best possible chance.

What else do we know about The Duskbloods’ Network Test?

FromSoftware shed more light on the upcoming Closed Network Tests in a couple of translated posts on X.

The Closed Network Test will be for adults only, and will give players the chance to experience the game’s Twilight Battles.

“Transcend humanity as the Bloodsworn,” reads a translated post. “Wield eccentric blood powers and experience a small part of what the Dusk Battle has to offer in The Duskbloods network test. Please keep an eye on this account for details coming at a later date.

“In The Duskbloods network test, you can become one of the “Bloodkin” – those who have gained superhuman powers through the power of special blood—and experience a part of the Twilight Battles. Details will be announced at a later date, so we appreciate your patience.”

If it feels like it’s been a long while since The Elder Scrolls 6 was first announced, that’s because it is. Today officially marks eight whole years since Todd Howard stood on stage at E3 in 2018 and revealed a teaser trailer for the next Elder Scrolls game to the world – and it still hasn’t seen the light of day.

In fairness, Bethesda Softworks has had a lot on since then. Fallout 76 took up a big chunk of the studio’s efforts, as did releasing Starfield in 2023 and the improvements to its in-house Creation Engine. Howard himself has even admitted to revealing the project ‘too soon’, expressing some regret at letting fans in on the game’s development so early.

But the genie can’t go back in the bottle, and although Bethesda has remained extremely tight-lipped about what form the next Elder Scrolls will take, we have heard a few dribs and drabs over the years. In celebration of the teaser trailer’s eight year anniversary, here’s everything we currently know about The Elder Scrolls 6.

Although Bethesda hasn’t officially confirmed where The Elder Scrolls 6 will be set, all evidence is currently pointing towards the northwestern region of Hammerfell and High Rock. This is mostly evidenced by the geography seen in the original teaser trailer with a mountainous region surrounded by coastline.

Hammerfall has already appeared in Elder Scrolls games before, most notably in 1996’s Daggerfall, and of course The Elder Scrolls Online. However, given the massive jump in technology between now and 1996, it’s safe to assume that Bethesda could easily return to the area with a completely fresh take on the landscape.

It’s also thought that the surrounding oceans could play into a new naval exploration mechanic with players able to purchase, customise, and sail their own ships. This will seemingly build upon the spaceship tech used in Starfield, allowing players to recruit crewmates and make their ship their own.

Speaking of technology, Todd Howard has confirmed that The Elder Scrolls 6 will use an upgraded version of its in-house Creation Engine. While the likes of Skyrim and Fallout 4 used the original version of the engine, Starfield used Creation Engine 2 – and even further enhancements have been made for its third iteration.

We don’t know exactly what those improvements are just yet, but Howard has hinted that they will allow for improved graphical detail, as well as much faster loading times to take advantage of modern console hardware. Given how long some of the load times could be for Skyrim back in the PS3 days, this is music to our ears.

We also know that The Elder Scrolls 6 is currently in a playable state behind the four walls of Bethesda Softworks. During an interview with Kinda Funny earlier this year, Howard confirmed that the team is currently able to play sections of the game, indicating that development is certainly moving in the right direction.

“We’re happy with where we’ve pushed the technology and how the game is coming together. You know, we’re able to play it, we’re about to pass a big milestone internally,” Howard told Greg Miller on a Kinda Funny Gamescast.

Of course, vertical slices of games are often playable quite early on in development. But it’s a great sign that a game of The Elder Scrolls 6’s scale is playable in some state, and that ‘big milestone’ certainly gives us hope that we’ll hear more about the game soon.

A big part of why Skyrim lasted so long with players was due to its extensive modding community, and Bethesda clearly understands that. Howard has already confirmed that TES 6 will also support mods, hopefully ensuring that the game sticks around in the public consciousness for as long as possible.

Talented Skyrim modders have created entire expansions for the game, with some even going on to work at Bethesda themselves. Fallout 4 and Starfield have also seen a dedicated modding community, but nothing will ever quite top what Skyrim managed to achieve during its heyday.

Time will tell if modders are drawn to The Elder Scrolls 6 as much as they were Skyrim.

One thing that seems abundantly clear about The Elder Scrolls 6 is that Bethesda isn’t going to talk about it until the last possible moment. Howard has expressed his regret at announcing the game so early several times over the last few years, explaining that it was only really done to assure fans the franchise wasn’t going anywhere amid the reveal of Fallout 76 and Starfield.

We saw with the stealth release of the Oblivion Remaster that leaving announcements to the last minute can work in Bethesda’s favour. It took a similar approach with the reveal of Fallout 4 in 2015 with an E3 trailer announcing the game in June with a release date five months later in November.

It’s clear that Howard likes to have short gaps between his reveal announcements and when players can actually get their hands on the game. That’s likely to be the case with The Elder Scrolls 6, so while we might still be waiting a little while for more information, it’s uplifting to know that the final game won’t be far off once we do see it materialise.

If I had to guess, I’d estimate that Bethesda is actually targeting a late 2027 release date. Not to get anyone’s hopes up, but given everything Howard has said in the last six months, it really sounds like the game is closer to launch than we might think.