FromSoftware's The Duskbloods Almost Started As a Chibi Nintendo Project
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Polygon recently spoke with FromSoftware director Hidetaka Miyazaki, who revealed that The Duskbloods began development in 2021 as a much shorter, cuter project tailored for Nintendo hardware before pivoting to the studio's signature dark aesthetic.
If you have been following the rollout of FromSoftware's upcoming multiplayer title, you likely picture a moody, Victorian Gothic sandbox filled with steam trains, terrifying dinosaurs, and giant frog adversaries. However, a recent Polygon roundtable with game director Hidetaka Miyazaki revealed that the project looked vastly different when development kicked off back in 2021. The studio initially toyed with a much more compact aesthetic, pitching characters that stood only three head-lengths tall in a bid to better align with Nintendo's hardware and platform sensibilities.
Miyazaki admitted that the miniature character design ultimately failed to click during testing, leading the team to pivot away from the cute approach and lean back into FromSoftware's signature dark fantasy styling. Even so, the director noted that the concept has not been entirely abandoned for the future. While the art direction went through major overhauls, the core gameplay loop has remained remarkably steady since day one, retaining its distinct PvPvE structure and systems designed to let players contribute without relying purely on high-tier combat skills.
As the industry looks ahead to the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, this rare peek behind the curtain shows how close we came to getting a uniquely pint-sized FromSoftware experience. For now, players preparing for the upcoming beta can expect the usual blend of unexpected match drama and tense competition, just rendered in the studio's classic, blood-drenched aesthetic rather than anything resembling Miitopia.
Tags: FromSoftware, Nintendo Switch 2, The Duskbloods, RPG
Original article: Polygon