FromSoftware has opened applications for The Duskbloods network test on Nintendo Switch 2. Here is who can apply, when the test runs, and why this limited access period should be treated as a technical trial rather than a demo.
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Applications are open, but this is a test before it is a showcase
Applications for The Duskbloods network test are now open through the game’s official website, according to Video Games Chronicle, Vice, GameFragger, and Nintendo Life. The window begins on Wednesday, July 22 at 7am PT, 10am ET, and 3pm BST, and it runs until July 28. For FromSoftware fans watching the studio’s Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive from a distance, that makes this the first practical deadline around the game rather than another trailer beat.
The immediate tension is that this is access to a FromSoftware multiplayer action game, but FromSoftware is explicitly asking players not to treat it like a finished slice of the final release. VGC quotes the studio as saying, “The network test is not a demo version of the game.” The build uses development data, exists to identify bugs and errors, and may not show the game “to its full potential,” according to FromSoftware’s own network test wording as reported by VGC.
That distinction matters for expectations. The Duskbloods is one of the sharper curiosities on the Switch 2 calendar because it pairs FromSoftware’s combat reputation with an announced multiplayer structure built around up to eight players. The network test is a chance for selected players to feel the rhythm of that idea early, but its stated purpose is infrastructure, multiplayer behavior, and balance, not a polished sales pitch.
Who can apply for The Duskbloods Switch 2 test
The requirements are narrow. VGC reports that applicants must have a Nintendo Switch 2 console and an active Nintendo Switch Online membership. Vice adds that players need to register through the official site using a Nintendo Account. Vice also states that the test will not be available on the original Nintendo Switch.
For anyone searching for The Duskbloods beta signup, the useful search term is a little misleading. This is a closed network test, and FromSoftware’s own language frames it as a load, multiplayer, and balance exercise. Players can still use the official sign-up route beginning July 22, but the application itself does not guarantee entry.
VGC says it is unclear whether successful applicants will be chosen on a first-come, first-served basis, by random lottery, or through another selection process. The same report notes that FromSoftware described the event as involving “large-scale network load tests,” which suggests a significant number of participants may be needed, but that is not the same as an open test. If you want in, the safest practical move is to apply during the July 22 to July 28 window and then wait for selection details rather than assuming speed alone decides the outcome.
The application window closes quickly, and regional timing needs care
The core application timing is consistent across the main reports: sign-ups begin July 22 at 7am PT and close July 28 at 6:59am PT. Vice’s regional table converts that opening to 10am ET, 3pm BST, 4pm CEST, 11pm JST and KST, midnight on July 23 AEST, and 2am on July 23 NZST. Its separate sign-up article lists the closing time as July 28 at 9:59am ET, 2:59pm BST, 3:59pm CEST, 10:59pm JST and KST, 11:59pm AEST, and 1:59am on July 29 NZST.
There is one wrinkle in the provided reporting. Vice’s earlier network test schedule article lists Japan’s application opening as July 23 at 11pm JST and Australia’s application closing as July 29 at 11:59pm AEST, while Vice’s later sign-up article lists July 22 at 11pm JST and July 28 at 11:59pm AEST. The July 22 JST and July 28 AEST times align with the quoted 7am PT opening and 6:59am PT closing, so readers should rely on the official Duskbloods network test site for final local confirmation before setting a reminder.
Nintendo Life reports that successful applicants will be notified on August 7. Vice’s sign-up coverage also says FromSoftware will not notify selected applicants until Friday, August 7, 2026. That creates a little over two weeks between registration and confirmation, so players should not expect an instant code or immediate download after submitting The Duskbloods test application.
Five four-hour sessions make this a scheduled stress test, not a weekend free-for-all
Selected players will receive a download code, according to VGC, and the network test itself consists of five four-hour sessions held between August 21 and August 24. Nintendo Life lists the European schedule as August 21 from 12pm to 4pm CEST, August 22 from 4am to 8am CEST, August 22 from 8pm to midnight CEST, August 23 from 12pm to 4pm CEST, and August 24 from 4am to 8am CEST. Vice’s schedule places the first session at August 21 from 3am to 7am PT, 6am to 10am ET, and 11am to 3pm BST.
That structure is worth noticing. A conventional demo can be sampled at a player’s pace. A network test with fixed windows asks everyone to arrive at the same gates. For a game built around simultaneous multiplayer matches, that concentration is the point. FromSoftware wants bodies on the servers at specific times so it can see where the system bends, how matchmaking behaves across network environments, and whether combat balance holds when real players start pulling at the design.
Nintendo Life also reports that screenshots and clips may not be shared online, and that the Switch 2 capture button will be disabled during gameplay. That restriction fits the test’s unfinished status. It also means players hoping to judge animations, performance, maps, builds, or bosses from social media footage may have less to study than they expect once the sessions begin.
Why the Switch 2 exclusivity makes this test unusually important
The Duskbloods is currently described by VGC as a FromSoftware Switch 2 exclusive, and Nintendo’s official description, as quoted by VGC, frames it as a “new multiplayer action game” where players take on the role of the Bloodsworn and fight against and alongside up to seven other players with unique weapons and abilities. Nintendo’s description also refers to blood-based powers that transform the character and combat style while players battle to secure the “First Blood.”
Those details point to a different challenge than a purely solo action RPG. FromSoftware’s best-known combat cadence depends on timing, spacing, animation commitment, threat reading, and punishment. Put up to eight players into that rhythm and the design problem changes. The server has to carry the tempo cleanly, but the combat also has to remain legible when several weapon kits, powers, and player decisions collide in the same match.
The Switch 2 exclusivity raises the stakes because this test is also an early public proving ground for how a major FromSoftware multiplayer project behaves on Nintendo’s new hardware and online ecosystem. The sources do not provide performance targets, resolution details, pricing, file size, or controller recommendations for the test. They do confirm the key access barrier: if you do not have a Switch 2, you cannot participate.
What FromSoftware says it is measuring
VGC reports that FromSoftware has named three main goals for the network test. The first is a game server load test, intended to confirm that many players can participate without experience issues. The second is a multiplayer test, meant to identify problems that may occur when players from different network environments take part. The third is a game balance test, which could lead to tuning changes.
That combination should shape how selected players approach the sessions. Bugs are expected. Balance may be uneven. Match flow may break in ways that would be unacceptable at launch but useful to the studio now. In action terms, the blade may be dull in places, the parry window may feel strange, and the arena may not yet sing at full tempo. The value of the test is that FromSoftware can see those problems under live pressure.
Nintendo Life says there are no specific details yet on exactly what the test will contain, including whether players will be able to experiment with different character builds or locations. That leaves several practical questions unanswered. We do not know how many maps or modes will be available, how much character customization will be exposed, whether progress carries no future value, or how much of the game’s broader structure will be visible.
A reminder before the larger marketing push begins
The Duskbloods still does not have an exact release date. VGC reports that FromSoftware currently says the game will be released by the end of 2026. Nintendo Life noted that many viewers had hoped for a final date when the game appeared during a recent Nintendo Direct, but the appearance instead led into the summer network test.
That makes this application period a practical checkpoint rather than a launch countdown. If you own a Switch 2, have an active Nintendo Switch Online membership, and are comfortable playing an unfinished build under fixed session times, The Duskbloods network test is worth applying for through the official site before the July 28 cutoff. If you want a polished first impression, the studio’s warning should be taken literally: this is not the final combat symphony.
For everyone else, the test will likely be most useful as a signal of what FromSoftware is willing to reveal before broader marketing ramps up. Confirmed facts remain limited: Switch 2 exclusivity, up to eight-player multiplayer matches, Bloodsworn roles, blood-based powers, five scheduled test sessions, and a release target by the end of 2026. The bigger questions, including final modes, progression, price, performance, and launch timing, are still waiting outside the fog.