Elden Ring Nightreign director didn't want to 'encroach too much' on the lore fans hold sacred by including Dark Souls bosses, but admits 'I thought it'd be kind of fun'

Junya Ishizaki next to an image from Elden Ring: Nightreign.

There's no end to the lore-driven theorizing that the most devoted FromSoftware fans can spin out of the characters, item descriptions, and cut content of Dark Souls and Elden Ring, and the developers know it. As I detailed in my big Elden Ring Nightreign explainer after playing the game in December, the new roguelike spin-off of Elden Ring is not connected to that game's story—it's an "alternate universe" take, with that justifying FromSoftware's decision to play fast and loose with its established lore… and even the lore of the Souls series, too. As spotted in Nightreign's reveal trailer, somewhere in this roguelike awaits The Nameless King, a boss from Dark Souls 3.

What other bosses from its older games is FromSoftware sticking into Nightreign? What does it all mean for the lore? Well, on the first point, FromSoftware's not talking. But on the latter, it's given a pretty straight answer: Don't worry too much about it.