The Duskbloods’ winged rat “elderly gentleman” was actually FromSoftware’s rare attempt at something “Nintendo-esque” and “cute”

FromSoftware‘s The Duskbloods sparked considerable discussion upon its release as a Nintendo Switch 2 title, partly due to its surprising collaboration and partly because of its designation as a multiplayer-focused game. Additionally, the intrigue surrounding the unveiling of a mysterious rat creature at the end of the trailer played a significant role. We now understand that the winged rat being is genuinely the studio’s most ambitious effort to create something “Nintendo-like” for a switch.

Charming creatures aren’t the first thing that comes to mind when considering the studio behind Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Elden Ring, and Sekiro; however, soulslike guru and The Duskbloods director Hidetaka Miyazaki stated that this was precisely the direction the team pursued in a recent Creator’s Voice blog.

“I suppose you could say we aimed to create something slightly Nintendo-like in the spirit of our collaboration,” Miyazaki humorously remarked. “We endeavored to do something adorable for a change. Though I must add that this character is actually an elderly gentleman.”

Miyazaki doesn’t elaborate much on who this old manrat is other than mentioning that it “fulfills a role similar to the fire keepers from the Dark Souls series.” This means “they remain in the central hub” and provide us with “advice and guidance” during the game’s eight-player matches. I’m not entirely sure how “charming” a dark mythological flying rat old man truly is, but it’s certainly an unusual (and somewhat amusing) attempt by FromSoft to create a mascot of sorts.

The Duskbloods is less Dark Souls and more Elden Ring Nightreign with “over a dozen characters” who can only “be customized to a certain degree”