Update, 1pm BST: FromSoftware has now announced that The Duskbloods' first closed network test session today has been canceled following persistent server issues.
In an official post, FromSoftware apologizes to fans, saying that it must end the first day's session immediately. It was originally supposed to run from 3am PDT / 12pm CEST / 11am BST to 7am PDT / 4pm CEST / 3pm BST.
"We regret to inform you that today's session is now closed. We will continue to work on improving the servers and will announce future schedules at a later date," it says.
Original story:
The Duskbloods closed network test went live less than an hour ago, but the drooling hordes hoping to get a taste of FromSoftware's new multiplayer game might be left waiting. The Duskbloods' servers are absolutely swamped.
The first round of closed playtests for The Duskbloods began at 3am PDT / 12pm CEST / 11am BST, and almost immediately, hopeful fans all began posting about exactly the same thing: being stuck on the home screen and staring at the game's daunting logo.
"Let me in," on fan writes over on Reddit. "The screen is taunting us all," says another. "Network successfully tested (it doesn't work)," a third jokes.
FromSoftware acknowledges the rough start, too: "We are experiencing issues with logging into the The Duskbloods Network Test Ver. game server. We are currently investigating the matter and kindly ask for your patience until the issue is resolved. Thank you for your understanding," the studio says.
Numerous online posts all paint the same picture. Everyone online is stuck trying to log into The Duskbloods' servers. Everyone else might already be in and enjoying the upcoming Switch 2 exclusive game, though they probably wouldn't be online if so. At least the main menu music is doing a lot of heavy lifting.
FromSoftware's servers were likely slammed with a torrent of fans banging to be let in the door. Thankfully, players have a few days to try the game since its first closed network test runs until August 24. The crowds should hopefully be a little sparser as the days tick along.
It's worth noting that The Duskbloods' closed network test is being split into multiple four-hour time slots spread across the next few days. You can see the full schedule here to plan ahead.
Elsewhere, Nintendo recently denied that The Duskbloods is launching in September in maybe the least convincing way possible. Before you do jump in with high hopes, game director Hidetaka Miyazaki also wants fans to know The Duskbloods and Bloordborne aren't related. The names are just a bloody coincidence.
