Elden Ring: Nightreign Launches Big with Over 300K Players in Just One Hour
So, Elden Ring is back in the spotlight — and this time, it’s with its new DLC called Nightreign. The expansion just dropped, and within the first hour, over 300,000 players were online on Steam. That’s honestly huge, even for a game that already had a massive fan base. People were clearly waiting for this, and the early player count shows just how hungry the community is for more Elden Ring content.
Forums, social media, and livestreams lit up almost immediately, with fans showing off screenshots, discussing new boss fights, and trying to figure out how all the new stuff works. It’s not just a small add-on — this feels like a serious extension of the main game.
Choosing Right: The Scale-Bearing Merchant Dilemma
One of the early choices that has players scratching their heads is the one involving the Scale-Bearing Merchant. Like, you meet this mysterious character early in the DLC, and he gives you two choices — and of course, in true FromSoftware fashion, neither is explained clearly. It’s not just about what item you get — the choice affects how your journey plays out from there.
Some players say picking one path gives you access to rare items and crafting material, while the other path might open up safer areas or useful advantages if you're playing as a specific build. So if you’re wondering which way to go, there’s no easy answer. You really have to think about your playstyle and what kind of experience you want going forward.
FP Usage Feels More Important Now
If you're a magic user or rely on Ashes of War, you'll probably notice this pretty quickly — Nightreign makes you think a lot more about how you use your Focus Points (FP). Fights feel longer and harder, and you can’t afford to run out of FP halfway through a boss.
What’s new though is that the game gives you a few tools to work with:
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There are new items that help you restore FP during battles
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Some upgrades make your flask usage more efficient
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And there are better ways to balance how much FP you use with each skill or spell
Even veteran players are realizing that they need to be more strategic now, especially in boss fights where mistakes get punished hard.
Fans Are Loving It — But It’s Still Challenging
For a lot of people, this DLC isn’t just more content — it’s a return to the brutal fun that made Elden Ring such a hit. The difficulty hasn’t dropped, and the mysterious storytelling is still there. There’s plenty of new lore to uncover, new gear to find, and of course, some wild boss fights that are already being called some of the best (and hardest) in the series.
If you’ve been waiting for something fresh but familiar, Nightreign seems to deliver. Whether you’re here for the story, the combat, or just to get wrecked in style — this expansion is off to a very strong start.
