FromSoftware’s Nintendo Partnership May Be Just the Beginning

Miyazaki reveals why Nintendo became the ideal partner for FromSoftware’s ambitious Switch 2 exclusive, while 007 First Light suffers another delay.

FromSoftware has shed more light on its unusual collaboration with Nintendo for The Duskbloods, revealing why the famed developer chose to make the secretive project an exclusive to the Nintendo Switch 2. This isn’t the first time FromSoftware has released Dark Souls Remastered on Nintendo devices, but it’s the first time the two companies have teamed up for a project of this scope and exclusivity.

In a recent interview, FromSoftware CEO Hidetaka Miyazaki said that Nintendo was initially enthusiastic about the studio’s pitch for The Duskbloods. Nintendo was said to be more open to the idea as a creative concept than to the commercial aspect of the proposal. This forward-thinking approach made FromSoftware feel Nintendo was the perfect partner for the project.

Miyazaki also pointed out how complex the mechanics of The Duskbloods are supposed to be.

Because of this intricacy, FromSoftware believes a partner who can provide ongoing feedback, balancing adjustments, and other ideas has been extremely beneficial during development. Interestingly, one of Nintendo's major contributions seems to be something FromSoftware has historically struggled with: teaching people how its games work.

The developer is known for thrusting players into tough settings and expecting them to figure it out through experimentation, item descriptions, and repeated failure. That approach has become part of the studio’s identity, but can also pose a considerable obstacle for newcomers. Meanwhile, Nintendo has built much of its reputation on making sophisticated mechanics accessible.

“That makes the company especially well-suited to helping The Duskbloods explain its systems and onboarding process without sacrificing the underlying complexity of the game,” said Miyazaki. So it’d be a fascinating combination of FromSoftware’s punishing design ethic and Nintendo’s strength in communicating mechanics.

It seems Nintendo is merely providing comments and not interfering with FromSoftware's creativity, as Miyazaki and his team have kept their unique vision intact. Nintendo's marketing effort has likewise been quite limited so far. Instead of a bunch of long advertising movies detailing every system, the studio has given select journalists and major FromSoftware creators a hands-on look at the game.

That approach feels very much like the promotional efforts for past FromSoftware releases, keeping a lot of the mystery intact.

However, despite rumors building, The Duskbloods has yet to confirm a release date. A September 24 date has been circulating recently, after popping up in a preview from The Guardian; however, Nintendo allegedly confirmed the information was wrong. Therefore,e players should not expect the game to release on that date.

There’s still a possibility of a late 2026 release, with December appearing like a plausible window based on the current timeline; however, FromSoftware and Nintendo have yet to formally announce anything. The partnership could also affect future FromSoftware projects, which could increase the likelihood of Switch 2 releases as the studio looks ahead to future multiplatform games.

Meanwhile, 007 First Light is less promising news for Nintendo Switch 2 users. IO Interactive has announced that the James Bond game has sold over four million copies since its introduction on May 27, 2026 – a huge commercial triumph for the Hitman developer. However, the Switch 2 version has been pushed back beyond the initially intended summer release timeframe. The port is now looking at an undefined date later in 2026.

The delay seems to underscore the difficulty developers still face when bringing blockbuster titles to Nintendo’s newer hardware. The Switch 2 can do amazing things with technologies like DLSS, but optimization needs can vary widely by game engine and dev objectives.