The year is 2026, and the Tarnished of the Lands Between are still licking their wounds from the Shattering, but a new kind of chaos is brewing in the familiar, yet terrifying, woods of Limgrave. Back in early 2025, a select few warriors received a cryptic email that felt more precious than a Somber Smithing Stone—a golden ticket to the Elden Ring Nightreign network test. This wasn't just another stroll through the Weeping Peninsula; this was a frantic, three-player cooperative scramble for survival that blended the punishing loop of a roguelike with the claustrophobic tension of a battle royale. The map shrank, the enemies randomized, and the clock ticked mercilessly. For those lucky few who got in, it was a weekend of glorious, controlled mayhem, a tantalizing taste of FromSoftware's bold new multiplayer experiment.
The Network Test Schedule: A Marathon of Mayhem
The network test wasn't a leisurely open-beta stroll; it was a meticulously scheduled series of adrenaline-fueled sprints. FromSoft, in their infinite wisdom (or sadism), decided to host the preview across five distinct sessions during that fateful Valentine's Day weekend of 2025. Imagine trying to explain to your significant other that you had a hot date... with two other Tarnished to fight a giant, randomized ulcerated tree spirit at 3 AM.
Here’s how the chaotic timetable unfolded:
| Session | Date (2025) | Time (PST) | Likely Player State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | February 14th | 3 AM - 6 AM | Caffeinated & Confused |
| 2 | February 14th | 7 PM - 10 PM | Post-Dinner Determined |
| 3 | February 15th | 11 AM - 2 PM | Weekend Warrior Mode |
| 4 | February 16th | 3 AM - 6 AM | Sleep-Deprived & Hallucinating Bosses |
| 5 | February 16th | 7 PM - 10 PM | One Last Hurrah |
Participants could jump into multiple sessions, which was good because mastering the frantic pace required more than one attempt. Trying to log in outside these windows was about as fruitful as trying to parry Malenia's Waterfowl Dance blindfolded—you'd just be met with a frustrating error message.
What Was in the Test? A Bite-Sized Slice of Chaos
So, what did these chosen undead actually get to play? The network test offered a concentrated dose of Nightreign's core loop. Each session lasted three hours, which was theoretically enough time for about six full "runs." A complete run—from spawning in to confronting the final boss—was estimated to take roughly 30 minutes for a skilled and speedy team. Of course, this assumed your team didn't spend 20 minutes arguing over loot distribution before being ambushed by a pack of teleporting dogs (a classic FromSoft experience).
Character customization was locked away for the test. Instead, players picked from a roster of eight pre-made heroes, each a unique archetype with specific weapons and abilities. This was a smart move to streamline the test, letting players jump straight into the action rather than agonizing over sliders for an hour. The big questions lingering were: Would these heroes make it to the full game, or were they just test dummies? And could you power them up? Early indications suggested a roguelite progression system where runes collected during a run could be spent on upgrades for the next attempt. However, in classic beta test fashion, all that hard-earned progress was destined for the digital scrapheap—none of it would carry over to the full release.
The Elusive Golden Ticket: How to Get In (Spoiler: You Probably Couldn't)
Ah, the million-rune question. How did one join this exclusive preview? The short, brutal answer for anyone reading in 2026 is: you had to be chosen, and that ship has sailed, sunk, and been eaten by a Giant Crab. Back in January 2025, FromSoft opened a registration lottery. Thousands upon thousands of hopefuls entered, praying to the Greater Will for a chance. The winners were notified by email and told to standby for February 11th.
On that morning, the blessed received an email with the subject line "Redeem Your Network Test Code." It was a moment of pure, unadulterated joy, likely accompanied by frantic texting to two friends to form a pre-made squad. The email contained a platform-specific redemption code. The process was straightforward:
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On PS5: Navigate to the PlayStation Store, find the "Redeem Code" option, and input the 12-digit key.
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On Xbox: Open the store, press the View button, select "Redeem," and enter the code.
There was one glaring omission, however, that caused much wailing and gnashing of teeth in the PC master race community: the network test was not available on PC. This left many a warrior with a powerful rig feeling decidedly maidenless.
For those who missed out, the secondary market (like certain online auction sites) saw codes being traded for absurd prices. The general consensus from wise old sages was: don't do it. It's a great way to get scammed. The better advice was to watch FromSoftware's social channels like a hawk for news of a potential second test.
The Verdict & The Road to Launch
Looking back from 2026, the Elden Ring Nightreign network test was a fascinating and frenetic proof of concept. It confirmed the game's identity as a co-op focused, roguelite-battle royale hybrid set in a beloved but deadly world. The limited time windows created a real sense of event and shared purpose among the community. While the testers got to enjoy a slice of the action, the rest of the world had to wait with bated breath until the full game's release later in 2025.
The test left some delicious questions unanswered: Would the full game feature deeper character customization? How extensive would the roguelite meta-progression be? Just how many ways could the environment and enemy spawns randomize? But one thing was clear: FromSoftware was not resting on its laurels. They were taking the foundation of Elden Ring and building a wildly different, socially chaotic experience on top of it. For the lucky few who participated, that weekend in February 2025 was a unique, unforgettable glimpse into the future of cooperative punishment—a future we now, in 2026, know all too well.
