Overview
- Nintendo and FromSoftware announced on Wednesday that a closed Network Test will run across August 21–24 to evaluate the game's online systems and multiplayer behavior.
- Applications open July 22 and close July 28 and require a Nintendo Switch 2, a Nintendo Account, and an active Nintendo Switch Online membership to apply and participate.
- The test is split into five separate four-hour sessions scheduled across the weekend to sample different time zones and network conditions for server-load and connectivity data.
- FromSoftware said the trial will be used for large-scale network load testing and balance tuning, with selected players notified on August 7 and a pre-release build distributed on the Nintendo eShop on August 18; the studio warned the build may contain bugs and sessions can be changed or canceled.
- The Duskbloods is a Switch 2 exclusive PvPvE action game for up to eight players who compete for a resource called 'First Blood', and the Network Test will help shape stability and gameplay ahead of its broader 2026 launch.