{"id":1166359,"date":"2026-02-11T21:34:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T21:34:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/?p=553390"},"modified":"2026-02-11T21:34:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T21:34:07","slug":"the-duskbloods-trades-fromsofts-sweet-maidens-for-an-elderly-gentleman-rat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/the-duskbloods-trades-fromsofts-sweet-maidens-for-an-elderly-gentleman-rat\/","title":{"rendered":"The Duskbloods trades FromSoft\u2019s sweet maidens for an \u2018elderly gentleman\u2019 rat"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Duskbloods<\/a><\/em> will be a departure for Elden Ring<\/em> and Dark Souls<\/em> developer FromSoftware in more ways than one. In addition to focusing on PvPvE multiplayer action<\/a> for the Switch 2 exclusive, The Duskbloods<\/em> will apparently do away with the traditional, doll-like maidens that FromSoftware features in its games.<\/p>\n

In their place? A nice, old winged rat.<\/p>\n

Game director Hidetaka Miyazaki says in an interview with Nintendo<\/a> that, like the focus on eight-player multiplayer, he wanted to try something new for The Duskbloods<\/em>\u2019 equivalent of the Dark Souls Fire Keeper. Asked about the \u201cwinged rat character\u201d seen at the end of the trailer for FromSoft\u2019s new game, Miyazaki says, \u201cThat character shares a similar role with the fire keepers from the\u00a0Dark Souls\u00a0series. They remain in the hub area, providing the player with advice and guidance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Miyazaki says that the developer \u201ctried doing something a little Nintendo-esque in the spirit of the partnership\u201d with that character.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe tried something cute for a change,\u201d Miyazaki explains. \u201cAlthough I will say this character is actually an elderly gentleman.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s quite a change for FromSoft, which has thus far populated its games with comely and mysterious women who serve as guides for the player. (See Demon\u2019s Souls<\/a><\/em>\u2019 Maiden in Black, Dark Souls<\/em>\u2019 various Fire Keepers, Dark Souls 2<\/a><\/em>\u2019s Emerald Herald, Dark Souls 3<\/a><\/em>\u2019s Fire Keeper, Bloodborne<\/a><\/em>\u2019s The Doll, Sekiro<\/a><\/em>\u2019s Emma, and Elden Ring<\/a><\/em>\u2019s Melina and Ranni the Witch, for examples.)<\/p>\n

Perhaps Miyazaki has found the value in elderly gentlemen as player guides for his games, based on the positive response to Elden Ring<\/em>\u2019s Miriel, Pastor of Vows, otherwise known as the \u201cPope Turtle<\/a>.\u201d It is nice to mix things up now and then.<\/p>\n

The Duskbloods<\/em> will be released on Nintendo Switch 2 sometime in 2026.<\/p>\n

Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Duskbloods will be a departure for Elden Ring and Dark Souls developer FromSoftware in more ways than one. In addition to focusing on PvPvE multiplayer action for the Switch 2 exclusive, The Duskbloods will apparently do away with the traditional, doll-like maidens that FromSoftware features in its games. In their place? A nice, old winged rat. Game director Hidetaka Miyazaki says in an interview with Nintendo that, like the focus on eight-player multiplayer, he wanted to try something new for The Duskbloods\u2019 equivalent of the Dark Souls Fire Keeper. Asked about the \u201cwinged rat character\u201d seen at the end of the trailer for FromSoft\u2019s new game, Miyazaki says, \u201cThat character shares a similar role with the fire keepers from the\u00a0Dark Souls\u00a0series. They remain in…<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1166360,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1166359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-polygon"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Duskbloods trades FromSoft\u2019s sweet maidens for an \u2018elderly gentleman\u2019 rat | Arcader News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Duskbloods will be a departure for Elden Ring and Dark Souls developer FromSoftware in more ways than one. 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