FromSoftware director explains The Duskbloods’ TTRPG influences and Nintendo partnership

Hidetaka Miyazaki discusses The Duskbloods’ multiplayer design, future, TTRPG influences and Nintendo partnership

Hidetaka Miyazaki has discussed the development of FromSoftware’s upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive The Duskbloods, explaining how board games and tabletop RPGs influenced its systems, while reaffirming the studio’s commitment to single-player games.

The Duskbloods is a PvPvE multiplayer game built from ideas Miyazaki said had accumulated across FromSoftware’s previous titles, including online mechanics that did not fit naturally into single-player experiences.

He explained that the project provided an opportunity to bring those concepts together in a multiplayer setting.

Miyazaki also identified board games and TTRPGs as influences on The Duskbloods. Its Virtue system draws from victory-point mechanics commonly found in board games, while the Sigil system incorporates ideas associated with tabletop RPG character development.

The partnership with Nintendo was also discussed. Miyazaki said Nintendo was receptive to the original pitch and provided feedback on the game’s complex systems, balancing and tutorials.

He said the relationship was particularly useful because FromSoftware has historically relied on players discovering mechanics themselves.

Miyazaki said the game was designed around what he would personally want to play rather than a specific target audience.

He noted that he is not particularly skilled at high-intensity action games or PvP and said the final version will include customisation and systems intended to support different play styles.

The Duskbloods will also use Bloodlines to integrate character stories into multiplayer matches, with certain combinations of characters, Sigils and events potentially unlocking story elements.

Despite releasing multiplayer projects close together, Miyazaki stressed that FromSoftware remains focused on single-player development.

“We still have a heavy focus on single-player content as well. This is just something that happened to work out the way it did.”

Regarding online games more broadly, Miyazaki said, “As for online games, I would say there's definitely a bright future.”

He added that interacting with other players creates experiences that differ from those found in single-player games.