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Elden Ring Nightreign, the latest release by FromSoftware, witnessed a remarkable debut on Steam, boasting a peak of 313,593 concurrent users, making it one of the platform’s most-played games. However, the initial excitement was tempered by a series of mixed user reviews, with only 67% of reviews being positive. Many players voiced their discontent over the absence of a two-player co-op mode and a lack of voice chat functionality.

Set in the perilous lands of Limveld, Elden Ring Nightreign emphasizes a multiplayer experience designed for solo play or groups of three, leaving pairs of players to contend with the challenge of an additional matchmade third player. This omission did not sit well with the community, who felt the game was incomplete without the option to form duo teams freely.

During an interview with IGN, Junya Ishizaki, the director of Elden Ring Nightreign, admitted that the two-player co-op was overlooked in development. Ishizaki explained that the game was primarily balanced and designed around a trio format. Despite efforts to accommodate solo players, the game’s core mechanics seemed to neglect duo play due to its focus on the three-player experience.

The absence of voice chat has also been a significant concern among the players. Many reviews highlighted the difficulties in progressing through the game without effective communication. The current setup forces players to rely on random in-game partners, complicating coordination and sharing of items, which many players found frustrating and not in line with the cooperative spirit they expected.

One such review sums up this frustration: "If you have three friends you can talk to and play regularly, you will have a great time. However, as a solo player who relies on teaming up with randoms, the lack of voice chat makes it nearly impossible to coordinate effectively."

Ishizaki acknowledged these critiques and hinted that FromSoftware is considering adding a duos mode in the future as part of post-launch support. Until then, players must navigate the game’s challenges either alone or with a group of three, and unfortunately, without the seamless communication that voice chat could provide.