Elden Ring Nightreign Beginner Guide: How Expeditions Work
November 9, 2026 · 7 min read
On this page
- Is Nightreign the same as Elden Ring?
- How an Expedition works
- Leveling, loot and healing
- What happens when you die
- The Nightfarers
- Which Nightfarer should beginners pick?
- Roundtable Hold and permanent progress
- Solo play and playing with friends
- Deep of Night and The Forsaken Hollows
- Frequently asked questions
- Do you need Elden Ring to play Nightreign?
- Can you play Elden Ring Nightreign solo?
- How long is an Expedition in Nightreign?
- Do you keep your level in Nightreign?
- How do you unlock Deep of Night?
- How do you unlock Scholar and Undertaker?
Elden Ring Nightreign is a standalone co-op spin-off from FromSoftware, released on May 30, 2025. Instead of one long journey, you play short runs called Expeditions: three in-game days in a land called Limveld, where you start at level 1, gear up during the day, fight a boss each night and face a Nightlord on day three. It is built for teams of three, but it can also be played solo.
Last checked: November 9, 2026. The latest update listed by Bandai Namco is regulation version 1.03.5 from March 31, 2026, and the paid DLC The Forsaken Hollows has been out since December 4, 2025.
Is Nightreign the same as Elden Ring?
No. Nightreign is a separate game, not DLC, and you don't need Elden Ring to play it. It reuses Elden Ring's controls, many of its enemies and familiar places like Roundtable Hold, but the structure is completely different: no open-world campaign, no persistent character level and much faster pacing. If you are looking for Elden Ring's own expansion, that is Shadow of the Erdtree, covered in our guide to starting the DLC.
| Elden Ring | Elden Ring Nightreign | |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | One long open-world campaign | Repeatable Expeditions of three in-game days |
| Character level | Kept for the whole game | Starts at level 1 every Expedition |
| Party | Solo, with optional online co-op | Designed for three players, solo available |
| Platforms | PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Switch 2 (Tarnished Edition) | PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC |
How an Expedition works
Bandai Namco's official starter guide breaks each Expedition into five steps:
- Day 1: explore Limveld, kill enemies, loot weapons and level up.
- Night 1: the safe area shrinks and forces your team into a boss fight.
- Day 2: the map resets to full size and you keep gathering power.
- Night 2: a second boss fight.
- Day 3: the battle with the Expedition's Nightlord.
The shrinking safe area is called the Night's Tide. A ring of blue flame marks the safe zone on the map, and outside it a cursed rain quickly drains your HP. Once the circle has closed enough, an Erdtree icon on your compass points toward the night boss, and a golden tree appears in the sky above its location.
After the second night, you arrive at the Spirit Shelter, a calm area where you can level up, shop and upgrade gear without the clock running. Leave through the large door when your team is ready to face the Nightlord.
Leveling, loot and healing
- Runes and levels. Every enemy drops runes. You level up at Sites of Grace, and each Nightfarer's stats grow on their own curve. Each teammate gets the same runes from a kill.
- Weapons. Gear in Limveld comes with random upgrade levels, skills and effects. Chests, weapon racks and boss rewards are usually better value than buying from merchants. Any Nightfarer can use any weapon, but some suit a character's stats better.
- Reward choices. Bosses and some strong enemies leave a reward cache that lets you pick from up to three options. Each player sees their own choices, so you don't compete over loot.
- Churches. Examining the altar in a ruined church adds one charge to your Flask of Crimson Tears for the rest of the Expedition. Every teammate can use the same altar, and healing is limited away from graces, so plan routes through churches.
- Merchants. Ghostly merchants sell Smithing Stones, Item Pouches and weapons that often target the current Nightlord's weakness.
What happens when you die
When your HP hits zero, you fall into a near-death state with a revival gauge. Teammates revive you by hitting you with attacks, melee or ranged, before the timer runs out. Each revival in quick succession makes the next one harder.
If nobody revives you in time, you respawn at the last Site of Grace and lose a level. You can recover those runes where you fell, though an enemy may pick them up first, in which case you have to kill it. If the whole team falls against the Nightlord, the Expedition ends in failure.
The Nightfarers
Nightfarers are the playable characters. Each has a passive ability, a character skill and an Ultimate Art. The official starter guide lists these roles:
| Nightfarer | Role | How to unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Wylder | Melee | Available from the start |
| Guardian | Melee | Available from the start |
| Raider | Melee | Available from the start |
| Executor | Melee | Available from the start |
| Ironeye | Ranged | Available from the start |
| Recluse | Spells | Available from the start |
| Duchess | Ranged / Spells | Unlocked through early progress |
| Revenant | Summons | Unlocked after the Duchess |
| Scholar | Spells | The Forsaken Hollows DLC |
| Undertaker | Faith and Strength | The Forsaken Hollows DLC |
PowerPyx explains the two base game unlocks. The Duchess requires the Old Pocketwatch, a random Expedition reward, which you hand to the hooded girl in Roundtable Hold. The Revenant then requires buying the Besmirched Frame at the Small Jar Bazaar, touching a phantom in the hold and defeating the Night Idol boss.
Which Nightfarer should beginners pick?
Wylder is the usual starting choice, and the official launch overview describes his kit as simple to use but with depth to master. Guardian is a sturdy alternative with strong defensive options. If you play with friends, a character that can revive allies easily helps the whole team: the official guide singles out the Guardian's and the Revenant's Ultimate Arts, and notes that bows and crossbows let anyone revive from a safer distance.
Roundtable Hold and permanent progress
Roundtable Hold is the hub between Expeditions. Here you pick Nightfarers, start Expeditions at the Table of Lost Grace, practice in the Sparring Grounds and spend Murk, the hub currency, at the Small Jar Bazaar.
Your level resets every run, but you keep relics. Win or lose, each Expedition awards relics that you equip to change starting stats or items, so even failed runs make the next attempt easier.
Solo play and playing with friends
By default, Nightreign matches you with two random players. To play with friends, set a matching password in the Matchmaking Setting tab at the Table of Lost Grace. To play alone, change "Expedition Type" from Multiplayer to Single player in the same menu. Solo mode works offline too, and the official guide notes enemy HP is lowered in solo play. Even so, Bandai Namco says the game is primarily balanced for three players.
Deep of Night and The Forsaken Hollows
Deep of Night is a harder mode added after launch. You unlock it by defeating the Nightlord called Night Aspect. Enemies are stronger, the target Nightlord is hidden until the run begins, and you climb through ranked "Depths". It also adds weapons with extra effects and Depths Relics that only work in this mode.
The Forsaken Hollows is the paid DLC released on December 4, 2025 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Steam. It adds the Scholar and Undertaker, new areas and threats in Limveld, a new Shifting Earth event and two new third-day bosses. To unlock the new Nightfarers, defeat the Nightlord Tricephalos, then speak to the Iron Menial in Roundtable Hold. On Steam, the Deluxe, Seekers and Collector's editions include the DLC automatically, while console owners need to download it manually from their store.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need Elden Ring to play Nightreign?
No. Nightreign is a standalone game, so you can buy and play it without owning Elden Ring. Experience with Elden Ring's controls helps, but the structure is new.
Can you play Elden Ring Nightreign solo?
Yes. Set the Expedition Type to Single player at the Table of Lost Grace, and you can play offline as well. Enemy HP is lowered in solo, though the game is mainly balanced for three players.
How long is an Expedition in Nightreign?
An Expedition covers three in-game days: two days of exploring with a boss each night, then a final Nightlord fight on day three. The shrinking Night's Tide keeps each run short compared with a normal Elden Ring session.
Do you keep your level in Nightreign?
No. Every Expedition starts at level 1. What carries over are relics, Murk and unlocks, which let you start future runs with better stats or items.
How do you unlock Deep of Night?
Defeat the Nightlord Night Aspect. Deep of Night then becomes available as a harder Expedition mode with stronger enemies and its own Depths Relics.
How do you unlock Scholar and Undertaker?
You need The Forsaken Hollows DLC. Defeat the Nightlord Tricephalos, then talk to the Iron Menial in Roundtable Hold to unlock them.
