There’s something oddly fascinating about Elden Ring Nightreign that people rarely talk about openly. It’s the kind of game that feels wrong at first. Not broken, not unfinished, just… off. You boot it up, play a few runs, complain a bit, close the game. Then, the next day, you’re back. Just to test something. Before you notice, you’re reading patch notes and arguing online about balance changes like this is suddenly very important to your life. Nightreign was never meant to be universally loved. And honestly, that might be the reason it’s still standing in 2026, getting major patches, balance passes, and DLC support while plenty of louder, flashier games have already faded away. ## the most common mistake people make with nightreign Trying to understand Nightreign as if it were Elden Ring 2 is where most people go wrong. It isn’t that. It’s closer to a side experiment built on top of Elden Ring’s combat, speed, and psychological pressure. There’s no slow wandering here. No long pauses to admire ruins or think about lore. Time is tight, the map keeps closing in, and the game constantly reminds you that standing still is the fastest way to lose. That pressure changes everything. How you move, how you fight, how you think. After a few dozen runs, it becomes obvious that Nightreign isn’t really about winning. It’s about managing bad decisions. Wrong route, bad loot, poor synergy with your class. Tough luck. The run goes on anyway. That discomfort isn’t accidental. It’s the point. ## the review that helped shift perception The Terminal Lance review did something important for the game, not because of the final score, but because of how honest it was. One hundred hours is not a casual commitment, especially in a mode that constantly resets itself. And yet the reviewer openly admits starting skeptical and ending genuinely impressed. What stands out isn’t praise. It’s surprise. Nightreign doesn’t look like it should work as well as it does. On paper, the structure feels chaotic. In practice, the loop holds together. Each run carries enough tension to keep you locked in until the end, even when you already know you’re probably going to lose. That’s not easy to pull off, and it explains why the game still has a dedicated core audience despite all the criticism. ## fixed classes and the cost of clarity The decision to lock players into predefined classes is still one of Nightreign’s most divisive choices. Anyone coming from traditional Elden Ring immediately feels the loss of build freedom. But after spending real time with the system, the logic starts to make sense. Nightreign demands instant readability. Within minutes, you need to understand who you are, what you’re good at, and where you’re weak. Fixed classes make that possible. You don’t overthink. You act. The problem appears when some classes clearly outperform others in ways that have nothing to do with player skill. That imbalance became impossible to ignore, and it set the stage for the first major 2026 patch. ## the 2026 patch didn’t reinvent the game and that was the point The early 2026 update wasn’t flashy, and that was probably the right call. Instead of attempting a full redesign, FromSoftware focused on surgical changes. Defense values, ability scaling, attack ranges, final skills. Small adjustments that, in practice, significantly changed how matches played out. The game didn’t suddenly become easy, but it did become fairer. Wins started to feel earned more often. Losses started to make more sense. That said, the relic system remains the biggest unresolved issue. Extreme randomness creates runs that feel less challenging and more arbitrary. There’s a clear difference between difficulty and lack of control, and Nightreign still crosses that line too often. ## the forsaken hollows and what it quietly says about the future The Forsaken Hollows DLC is interesting less for what it adds and more for what it avoids. Yes, it brings new areas, encounters, and variety. But it stays away from some of the most emotionally powerful elements tied to the Elden Ring universe. Iconic Shadow of the Erdtree bosses are absent. Truly legendary weapons never show up. That doesn’t feel accidental. It feels cautious. Maybe even protective. The DLC raises an uncomfortable question. How far is FromSoftware actually willing to push Nightreign? Will it remain a contained side mode forever, or will it eventually embrace the full weight of Elden Ring’s legacy? ## nightreign today is a game in constant negotiation Right now, Nightreign feels unfinished in an honest way. It doesn’t pretend otherwise. It adjusts, listens, reacts. Sometimes slowly. Sometimes surprisingly well. That creates a strange relationship with its players. Those who stay do so because they accept the process. Those who leave usually do it early. There’s very little comfortable middle ground here. ## questions people actually ask about nightreign Why does Nightreign feel unfair even when I play well Because a meaningful part of each run is outside your control. Relic drops in particular can completely define or ruin a run. This has been one of the most consistent complaints since launch. Did the 2026 patch make the game easier Not really. It made the game less broken. Balance improved, not difficulty. Does The Forsaken Hollows suggest a bigger DLC is coming There’s no official confirmation. What exists is a community reading that this DLC played it safe, possibly leaving room for something more ambitious later. Is it worth returning if I quit at launch If balance issues and unfair deaths pushed you away, it’s worth another look. If you disliked the structure itself, the core experience hasn’t changed enough to flip your opinion. ### sources https://terminallance.com/2026/01/09/elden-ring-nightreign-review/ https://opencritic.com/news/25746/elden-ring-nightreign-just-got-its-first-big-2026-update https://gamerant.com/elden-ring-nightreigns-dlc-fix-bosses-erdtree-weapons-forsaken-hollows/ Nightreign isn’t clean, elegant, or comfortable. But it’s stubborn. And sometimes, that’s enough to keep a game alive long after everyone expected it to disappear.