FromSoftware head Hidetaka Miyazaki has confirmed in an interview with IGN that The Duskbloods, the studio’s upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, will carry forward one of the Soulsborne series’ most iconic mechanics, the Invasions system.
Miyazaki described how the idea that once let outside players drop into a stranger’s world in Dark Souls and Demon’s Souls is being reshaped to suit the upcoming game’s eight-player PvPvE format. He also opened up about where this design originally came from, and how FromSoftware’s partnership with Nintendo gave old ideas a new home.
How the Invasions-Style System Will Work in The Duskbloods
The invasion system comes back in The Duskbloods | Credit: FromSoftware
According to the director, there won’t be a dedicated invasion mode in the traditional sense, but a similar system is planned for the finished game. A match already running with eight Bloodsworn players can be joined by an additional ninth player whose only purpose is combat.
“While there isn’t a specific mode that we plan on having available in the final game, there will be a system very similar to how Invasions work in some of our previous games where players can join a match as the other eight players are already in that match, and you’re essentially the ninth player on top of that.“
Unlike a standard match in The Duskbloods, where players work to earn Virtue points toward victory, this ninth-player role skips that entirely. Their goal is simply to fight, giving players who crave pure PvP a direct outlet without needing to grind for it first.
Why Hidetaka Miyazaki Brought Back Invasions
Hidetaka Miyazaki | Credit: Nintendo Creator’s Voice Blog
Hidetaka Miyazaki traced the concept back to FromSoftware’s early conversation with Nintendo about what would eventually become The Duskbloods. He explained that features like the Covenant system and Invasions were always among the studio’s most distinctive online tools, but plenty of other multiplayer-focused ideas never made the cut because they didn’t suit the single-player framing of earlier titles.
Over the years, those shelved concepts accumulated, and The Duskbloods finally gave the team a project built around a multiplayer context where those ideas could work. Notably, the director has also admitted he isn’t naturally stronger at high-intensity PvP himself, and that this shaped his approach to design.
Rather than building purely for hardcore competitive players, he’s tried to include systems that would appeal to someone with his own skill level and preferences, so players who aren’t PvP specialists can still enjoy the experience and find success.
With Invasions-inspired PvP now confirmed, fans of FromSoftware’s Soulsborne legacy have another reason to hop on The Duskbloods as soon as it launches. What more are you expecting out of the upcoming title? Make sure to let us know in the comments below!
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