One of the biggest concerns with FromSoftware’s upcoming PvPvE title, The Duskbloods, has been how it would be able to manage the potential skill gap between players, especially in the long-term when players who have been practicing with the game since launch would far outmatch newcomers. In an interview with IGN, director Hidetaka Miyazaki spoke about the matchmaking system that is “ranked” and can suitably match up appropriately skilled players with each other.
He also explained that less experienced players will still be able to make it up the game’s progression systems, with new customization options and story elements being gradually unlocked through gameplay. To succeed, however, he acknowledged that these players would still have to practice and get better at the game.
“In terms of really, really good players, we definitely plan on having the matchmaking system work in a way so that it’s ranked, and players who are really good tend to be matched with other players who are great, and players who are new tend to be matched with other new players just to avoid situations like you had mentioned. Another element is that, even if you’re not necessarily always winning the matches or making it to the end, there are things that you can unlock through just gameplay like story content and customization for your character, which should allow you to enjoy it outside of the actual combat.
“We’re hoping that can at least draw players in initially – they can enjoy the game for what it is, and enjoy the story and the world. And then from there, if they want to continue to get better at the actual matches, then that’s something that they can do as well.”
As for what the plans might be further down The Duskbloods’ life cycle, Miyazaki also expressed interest in trying to foster some kind of a positive relationship between veterans of the game and newcomers. While plans for this haven’t been solidified, he spoke about things like rare in-game events, or changes to the Alliance system that gives players more control over the kinds of opponents they can be matched up with. Higher-level players could also team up with newcomers – an idea Miyazaki compared to Soulslike titles where players could leave each other messages that provide hints.
“This might not be something that comes out initially and may come a bit later on, but we’re definitely considering ways to build a relationship between veteran players and new players – something that’s positive and not always scary or something they’d want to avoid. For example, things like event customization, having certain in-match events be very rare or have higher chances of appearing if you’re in a game with someone who has been playing for a really long time. Or having the Alliance system done in a way where you can specifically say that you want to be paired with someone who’s really good and has a high rank.
“And the player who’s high-rank can maybe have their settings prioritize pairing with newcomers if they want to help them out, very similar to leaving signs in front of a boss in our other games. We want this to be positive for both players, veterans to feel like they’re contributing to the newcomers and the newcomers to feel like they’re being accepted and having fun with others. Making sure they’re not split to where they don’t want to interact with each other. It’s definitely something to consider and something we want to look at in a positive way.”
The Duskbloods is being developed exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2 and is currently in the midst of a network test.
