Gloomwood Publisher Claims Escape From Tarkov Hurt the Game Industry

I am pretty sure Most of us probably expected the Switch 2 Direct to show a 3D Mario game some Zelda remasters and maybe a new IP. But it’s Nintendo so they threw us surprises instead like a new 3D Donkey Kong GameCube games on NSO (almost) and The Duskbloods. A new IP but one from FromSoftware definitely unexpected.

As The trailer started with an NPC talking about blood, which got everyone excited. Was it Bloodborne 2? Maybe a Switch exclusive? The combat and steampunk look made it seem that way. But when the title card appeared. it quickly shut down those theories (since Bloodborne 2 would only be on PlayStation). Still like how Dark Souls was similar to Demon's Souls the Lovecraftian vibe would continue in its own way.

Also Read: Fans Hunt for Clues: Who Is the Mud Girl in the GTA 6 Trailer?

FromSoftware quickly clarified that The Duskbloods is a PvPvE game meaning it is not Bloodborne 2. While their previous multiplayer game Nightreign has been a pleasant surprise many fans including Dave Oshry from New Blood Interactive lost interest in The Duskbloods after the reveal of another multiplayer game.

Oshry mentioned on the Quad Damage Podcast that Miyazaki the president of FromSoftware has been playing Escape from Tarkov. He went on to say that Tarkov has caused a lot of damage to the gaming industry because now every game seems to be an extraction shooter. He added that he prefers regular games but admits he is older and not the target audience for these newer games.

FromSoft Confirms They’re Not Abandoning Single-Player Games

With Nightreign and The Duskbloods released one after the other, people worried that Bloodborne 2 wasn’t actually happening. There was also concern that FromSoftware was moving away from single-player games and getting closer to live-service games. However that's not true. Miyazaki and his team are just trying out new ideas just like they did with Demon's Souls which started the Soulslike genre.

Miyazaki explained that The Duskbloods is mainly an online multiplayer game. However he emphasized that FromSoftware is not shifting its focus to multiplayer games in the future. The company still plans to create single player games that stick to their traditional style.

The Duskbloods doesn’t seem like a typical extraction shooter. You’ll have a hub area to customize your character before joining multiplayer. Even if you lose you'll still get some rewards. The game also has battle royale features where matches usually end with the last player standing but other events like defeating a powerful boss can change things. It feels more like a Bloodborne spin-off than Escape from Tarkov.

Since Nightreign is coming first and The Duskbloods won't be out until 2026. it will be some time before we see more of the game.