Nightreign’s Meteoric Launch: Elden Ring Expansion Smashes Steam with 300,000 Players, Rewarding Those Who Brave the Chaos!
Elden Ring’s latest foray, “Nightreign,” has exploded onto the gaming scene, making a colossal impact despite its characteristically challenging nature. While user reviews are still settling – hardly a shock for a FromSoftware title that dares to experiment – the player numbers tell a powerful story. Nightreign debuted with a staggering 300,000 concurrent players on Steam, hitting the charts with the force of Radahn’s terrifying meteor attack, as reported by SteamDB!
It’s true that, like any intense FromSoftware experience, the initial surge has seen some fluctuation, with numbers currently around 150,000. Some might compare this to the slower decline of other hits, but Nightreign is a different beast altogether. As PC Gamer’s Tyler Colp aptly described it, this is one of FromSoftware’s “most peculiar and abrasive games since the ’90s”—a testament to its unique and demanding design.
This isn’t your standard, methodical Souls experience where you patiently chip away at a challenge. Nightreign plunges players into a “pressure cooker” of “sheer, unrestrained chaos.” Initial solo forays can feel overwhelming, even infuriating. However, for those who persevere through FromSoftware’s wild ride, a deep sense of satisfaction awaits.
“I’m really starting to rather enjoy myself after 19 hours,” admits one player, acknowledging it “took a minute to get adjusted.” This journey from initial bewilderment to eventual mastery is a core part of the appeal. Many essential progression elements, like new relic bowls and remembrance challenges, are tantalizingly gated behind conquering the first Nightlord, adding to that rewarding feeling of overcoming a true trial.
While some players might take a breather, the allure of Nightreign is undeniable. The “proper soulsian sickos,” as one enthusiast puts it, are already diving back in, “rewarded for [their] thirst to understand this bizarre, unpredictable, messy, stressful concoction.” The PC Gamer team itself has been “bitten by the bug,” even putting together an Elden Ring Nightreign tips article to help fellow Tarnished navigate those initial “growing pains.”
So, while Nightreign demands much from its players, its massive launch and the burgeoning community of dedicated fans prove that FromSoftware’s boldest experiments continue to captivate and thrill. The chaos is real, but so is the reward!
