Elden Ring Nightreign Post-Launch Boss Wish List

Boss fights are FromSoftware’s bread and butter. While the moment-to-moment combat of a FromSoft game usually feels great, it’s the boss fights that truly elevate the game’s mechanics and harmonize its interweaving systems. Boss fights have remained an integral part of FromSoftware’s action-RPG formula for over a decade now, and Elden Ring Nightreign is no exception.

Elden Ring Nightreign puts boss fights front and center of the experience, arguably even more so than any of FromSoft’s previous titles. The entire gameplay loop of Nightreign revolves around players essentially speedrunning their way through a series of boss encounters in order to level up and gain powerful upgrades so that they’re ready to face an even bigger boss. There are over 100 bosses in Elden Ring Nightreign, six of which come from the Dark Souls trilogy. There’s more than enough there to keep fans invested for a little while, but there’s also plenty of room for more to join the ranks in Nightreign‘s upcoming DLC.

In Defense of Elden Ring Nightreign’s Three-Player Restriction

Elden Ring Nightreign has come under fire for only allowing solo or trio play, and this makes sense, but three players might be the way to go anyway.

FromSoftware Bosses That Should Come to Elden Ring Nightreign After Launch

Demon’s Souls’ Flamelurker

The originator of the FromSoftware formula, Demon’s Souls is often overshadowed by its younger siblings, even despite having its own shiny remake on PS5. Though Demon’s Souls‘ boss roster pales in comparison to those that came after it, it still has a few standout monsters that deserve a second shot. The terrifying Flamelurker is one such boss. A Balrog-like foe, Flamelurker uses his fists of fire to pummel players, and can leap great distances to avoid oncoming strikes. His agility makes him a great choice for one of Elden Ring Nightreign‘s DLC bosses.

Dark Souls’ Gravelord Nito

An oft-overlooked boss from the original Dark Souls, Gravelord Nito resides in what’s arguably the worst area in Dark Souls, but the boss fight itself is pretty engaging. During the course of the battle, Nito will slowly drag himself towards the player, summoning hordes of skeletons during the trek. Though this can lead to a lot of frustration in Dark Souls – especially if players don’t have a Faith weapon equipped to stop the skeletons from resurrecting – it would suit Nightreign‘s three-player structure well.

Dark Souls 2’s Looking Glass Knight

Another underrated FromSoft boss, Dark Souls 2‘s Looking Glass Knight could be a great addition to Elden Ring Nightreign‘s boss roster. Along with some hard-hitting moves of his own, Looking Glass Knight is able to summon other players to fight alongside him. This could be adapted into Nightreign, with the boss summoning NPC versions of the Nightfarers during the fight, similar to how they’re used in Remembrance missions.

Dark Souls 3’s Lothric and Lorian

A boss already perfectly suited to co-op play, Dark Souls 3‘s Lothric and Lorian are a natural fit for Elden Ring Nightreign. Players need to split their attention between Lorian, a knight with a flaming greatsword, and Lothric, a sorcerer who heals his more capable brother.

Given Sony’s ownership of the Bloodborne IP, it seems extremely unlikely any of its bosses will return in Elden Ring Nightreign. Though, if they did, Ludwig would be a great choice.

Sekiro’s Demon of Hatred

Along with Demon’s Souls, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice hasn’t received any proper representation in Elden Ring Nightreign yet. Though the Executor Nightfarer borrows Sekiro‘s deflection mechanic, it’d be great to see more Sekiro-inspired content in Nightreign, and the Demon of Hatred could be the game’s best bet.