Elden Ring Nightreign: The Controversial Removal of a Beloved Feature
Elden Ring Nightreign will no longer incorporate the game’s iconic in-game messaging system due to the fact that there will be “no time” available to compose or read messages.
Although Nightreign’s reveal trailer displayed numerous recognizable sites such as grace points and Evergaols, along with enemies from Dark Souls like The Nameless King from Dark Souls 3, Elden Ring Nightreign director Junya Ishizaki has confirmed that the studio is eliminating its in-game communication feature because sessions are roughly 40 minutes long, leaving no opportunity for such interactions.
“You will still be able to see the apparitions of other players, but the option to leave messages has been eliminated,” Ishizaki informed IGN Japan via machine translation.
“The reasoning behind removing the messaging feature is that, in this game where sessions last approximately 40 minutes each, there is no time to compose your own messages or distance to read those left by others.”
“The idea was to create a ‘condensed RPG’. RPGs have their highlights and low points, and players can experience wins and losses,” Ishizaki elaborated. “I believe the best aspect of RPGs is that all these experiences ultimately bear fruit. To cultivate a cohesive experience that allows players to grasp the true essence of RPGs, each game session lasts over three days.”
It appears that this change implies that defeated enemies will not respawn during gameplay—not even if you rest at a grace point—and although ashes will return in Nightreign, the way they are “managed” will differ from the original Elden Ring game.
The interview also revealed that Miyazaki was involved “up until the formation of the initial concept” for Nightreign, but he has since taken a step back for the new director, who has been with FromSoft since 2011.
“Elden Ring spin-off Nightreign is an incredibly thrilling game that is sure to engage players,” Ishizaki concluded. “It will offer a sense of achievement and joy that is distinct from p