Miyazaki Wants Duskbloods Veterans To Help Newcomers, Not Just Outmatch Them

FromSoftware is trying to solve a problem that eventually hits every competitive multiplayer game: what happens to new players once the skill gap widens.

The Duskbloods Will Feature Skill-based Matchmaking

Speaking to IGN in a hands-on preview interview, Miyazaki addressed concerns about what happens to The Duskbloods months after launch, once dedicated players have pulled far ahead of newcomers in skill.

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,” he said.

Miyazaki also pointed to non-combat progression as a way to keep newer players invested even before they’re competitive.

“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,” he said.

“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.”

A Summon-Sign Inspired System For Helping Newcomers

Beyond simply separating skill tiers, Miyazaki described a system still being considered for pairing veterans with newer players in a positive way, rather than just keeping the two apart entirely.

“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,” he said, noting the feature likely wouldn’t be ready for launch and would arrive later.

He described two specific ideas under consideration. One would make certain rare in-match events more likely to appear when a newer player is grouped with someone who’s been playing for a long time. The other involves the game’s Alliance system, letting a high-ranked player opt to prioritize pairing with newcomers specifically to help them out.

Miyazaki drew a direct line to FromSoftware’s own history with the idea. “Very similar to leaving signs in front of a boss in our other games,” he said.

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.”

The comparison is a notable one for a series built on games where cooperative summoning has always been optional and community-driven rather than systemized. Bringing that same spirit into a fully competitive PvPvE structure is a different design challenge than Dark Souls or Elden Ring ever had to solve, and Miyazaki’s comments suggest FromSoftware is still actively figuring out the right shape for it rather than treating it as settled.