When I first heard about Elden Ring: Nightreign, I’ll be honest, I scratched my head a little. FromSoftware, the masters of solitary, punishing worlds, making a co-op multiplayer roguelike with battle royale sprinkles? It’s not exactly what you’d expect. But here we are in 2026, and the game is a fascinating beast. It takes us back to a twisted version of Limgrave, but this time, we’re not going it alone. The core loop is all about squad-based survival—teaming up with two other players to take on bosses that are, true to FromSoft form, absolutely brutal. It’s a wild departure, yet it somehow still feels like it has the soul of The Lands Between coursing through its veins.

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What really grabs my attention, though, is how Nightreign is positioning itself. In an era where ‘games as a service’ feels inescapable, this one is taking a different path. It’s got the trimmings—emotes, skins, in-game currency—but, get this, no microtransactions and no battle passes. It’s like they’re saying, ‘Hey, remember when you just bought a game and played it with your friends?’ They’re promising a no-frills, traditional multiplayer RPG experience. If Nightreign sticks the landing and maintains that legendary FromSoftware quality, it could send a powerful message to the entire industry. Maybe, just maybe, other big franchises should take note. And my mind immediately jumps to one in particular: Final Fantasy.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Final Fantasy? Single-player stories are its bread and butter. But let's not forget, the series has dipped its toes in multiplayer waters before, and not just with the MMO giants, FFXI and FFXIV. For a co-op experience that feels closer in spirit to what Nightreign is doing, you have to look at the spin-offs. And for me, the quintessential example is Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles.

Oh, Crystal Chronicles. Released way back in 2003 on the GameCube, this was a game built for friends. It had this wonderfully charming, almost storybook aesthetic, but its heart was in co-op adventure. You and your party were travelers protecting your caravan from the deadly Miasma by collecting drops of magical Myrrh. The single-player campaign was there, but let's be real—the magic happened when you played with others. The catch? The setup was, well, a bit of a mess.

To play with friends, you needed a GameCube, up to four Game Boy Advances, and a tangle of Link Cables. It was a logistical nightmare, but for those of us who did it, there was something special about huddling around one TV, each with our own little screen. 🎮➡️📺 It was clunky, but it was our clunky adventure.

The 2020 remaster, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered, tried to modernize this. It added online cross-play, which was a godsend on paper. But in practice? It was a letdown for a lot of fans. They stripped out the local co-op, the load times were rough, and the core gameplay felt… its age. It was a missed opportunity to truly reintroduce this gem to a new generation.

Here’s where Elden Ring: Nightreign’s potential success becomes a beacon. The market today is starving for quality, traditional co-op JRPGs that aren’t shackled to live-service models. Games where you buy it, play it with your buddies, and that’s that—no endless grind for a battle pass, no cash shop staring you in the face.

Look at what we have (and don’t have) in the co-op RPG space right now:

Game Type Live-Service Common? Market Saturation
MMORPGs (e.g., FFXIV) Very Common High
Looter Shooters Extremely Common High
Traditional Co-op RPGs Rare Very Low
Games like Elden Ring: Nightreign Promising a 'No' Practically Non-Existent

If Nightreign proves there’s a real, hungry audience for this specific niche, it’s a golden opportunity. Square Enix would be wise to revisit the Crystal Chronicles concept. Imagine a brand-new entry, built from the ground up for modern platforms:

  • Seamless Online & Local Co-op: The dream. Play on the couch or across the country.

  • A Fresh, Vibrant World: Keep that signature art style but expand it with new biomes and lore.

  • Deep, Satisfying Progression: Loot, abilities, and character growth that feels meaningful in a party context.

  • Challenging, Co-op Focused Bosses: Just like in Nightreign, fights that require real teamwork and strategy.

It wouldn't need to be a live-service juggoliath. Sometimes, a smaller, tighter experience with a clear beginning and end is exactly what players crave. A focused adventure you can share with friends over a few weekends. That’s the void Nightreign is trying to fill, and it’s the same one a new Crystal Chronicles could masterfully occupy.

So, as I look at Elden Ring’s bold new direction, I can't help but feel a spark of hope. It’s a reminder that the industry can still pivot, that there’s room for different models. Nightreign is stepping into the arena to prove a point. And if it succeeds, maybe, just maybe, we’ll hear the familiar chime of a Moogle bell in a new co-op adventure sooner rather than later. The stage is set for a co-op renaissance, and all eyes are on Limgrave to see if the flame can be rekindled.