It's 2026, and I'm still vividly remembering the absolute rollercoaster that was the first Elden Ring Nightreign network test last year. The hype was real, folks—absolutely off the charts! After FromSoftware's initial claims they were done with The Lands Between, the Game Awards drop of Nightreign hit us all like a critical hit from a Grafted Blade Greatsword. A roguelite co-op spin-off with some battle royale spice? Talk about a game-changer! For months, it was the only thing the community could talk about, the ultimate water-cooler topic for us Tarnished.

When Bandai Namco announced select players would get a crack at it early via a network test, the frenzy reached a fever pitch. Getting that invite felt like finding a Somber Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone on your first playthrough. The day finally arrived, and let me tell you, the first scheduled session was supposed to be our moment of glory. Instead, it turned into a lesson in patience, or rather, the severe lack thereof.

The Queue-pocalypse Begins

The session was supposed to kick off, but for most of us, it was a no-go from the jump. The second the digital doors were supposed to open, social media exploded—and not in a good way. Twitter (or whatever it's called now) and Bluesky were instantly flooded with the salty tears of frustrated fans. The vibe was less "welcome to the Nightreign" and more "welcome to the queue simulator."

Here’s a quick breakdown of the carnage we witnessed:

• Endless Queues: Players reported sitting in matchmaking queues for over 45 minutes with no end in sight. It was a real "touch grace and wait" situation.

• Title Screen Limbo: Many couldn't even get that far! The title screen became a final boss for some, a barrier they just couldn't pass.

• Mysterious Maintenance: The most common sight was a pop-up message stating the network test was under maintenance. Talk about a mood killer!

The silence from Bandai Namco and FromSoft in those first chaotic hours was deafening. We were all left in the dark, hitting retry like our lives depended on it. In a weird way, though, it was a testament to the game's insane popularity. If the servers melted this badly for a limited test, you just knew the demand for the full release was going to be astronomical. It proved the network test was a genius, if initially painful, idea.

FromSoft's "Oops" Moment and the Reboot

The real plot twist came a few hours into the debacle. FromSoftware's Japanese social team finally broke the silence. They confirmed what we all painfully knew: the test was being restarted due to "congestion." That's corporate speak for "we got absolutely swamped, our bad!" They promised to let everyone know when we could jump back in. It was a classic case of servers getting maidenless behavior from an overwhelming number of players.

Looking back from 2026, that rocky start feels like a distant memory, but it taught us a few things:

1. Never underestimate a FromSoft fan's hunger. We will break your servers to get a taste of new content.

2. Launch day struggles are almost a tradition. It's like a rite of passage for any massively anticipated online game.

3. The community bonds over shared suffering. Memes about the queue times were top-tier for weeks.

In the end, the test did eventually get back on track, and those of us who persevered got a glorious, if laggy, first look at the chaotic, co-op brilliance of Nightreign. That initial stumble just made finally getting in and hearing that iconic soundtrack all the sweeter. It was a wild ride, a true baptism by fire for what's now one of my favorite ways to experience the Elden Ring universe with friends. Sometimes, you gotta wade through a swamp of connection errors to reach the Erdtree.