FromSoftware just revealed The Forsaken Hollows, the first paid DLC for Elden Ring Nightreign, dropping December 4, 2025. The expansion brings two new playable Nightfarers, Scholar and Undertaker, alongside two new bosses and a massive underground area called The Great Hollow. If you bought the Deluxe Edition back in May when the game launched, you already own this DLC, but everyone else will need to shell out $15 to access the new content.
Two New Nightfarers Join the Fight
The Forsaken Hollows introduces Scholar and Undertaker as the newest playable characters in Nightreign’s roster. Scholar is an academic wandering the Lands Between with impressive arcane stats. His playstyle centers around battlefield observation, gaining strategic advantages by analyzing enemy patterns and weaknesses. Think of him as the intelligence gatherer who rewards careful players who study their opponents before committing to attacks.
Undertaker brings a completely different energy. She’s an abbess specifically mandated to slay the Nightlord, boasting high strength and faith stats that make her a powerhouse in close combat. Her kit combines heavy hitting attacks with faith-based abilities, letting her send enemies to the afterlife with ruthless efficiency. Based on early descriptions, she favors hammers as her weapon class, suggesting a bruiser playstyle that contrasts sharply with Scholar’s tactical approach.
These additions bring the total roster to at least eight playable Nightfarers. The base game launched with characters like Wylder, Guardian, Duchess, and Recluse, each with unique passive abilities, active character skills, and ultimate arts. Scholar and Undertaker follow that same design philosophy, giving players distinct roles to fill in three-player co-op expeditions.
The Great Hollow and New Boss Threats
The Great Hollow is described as a massive cavity in the depths of Limveld, the twisted version of Limgrave where Nightreign takes place. This underground zone is filled with exotic ruins, ancient temples, sacred towers marking the remains of a lost civilization, and crystals that emit a cursed, life-draining miasma. That last detail suggests environmental hazards will play a major role in navigating this new area.
FromSoftware confirmed two new bosses are tormenting Limveld, though specific details remain under wraps. Given the DLC’s name and setting, expect these bosses to tie directly into The Great Hollow’s lore. Whether they’re new third-day bosses that replace existing Nightlords or additional field bosses scattered throughout expeditions hasn’t been clarified yet. Either way, more boss variety addresses one of the base game’s most common criticisms about repetitive boss encounters across multiple runs.
The DLC also introduces a new Shifting Earth mechanic. Shifting Earths are special map conditions where massive geographical changes occur, completely altering the landscape mid-expedition. This builds on Nightreign’s existing randomized map structure but takes it further by transforming terrain in ways that force teams to adapt their strategies on the fly.
How Nightreign Actually Works
If you’re unfamiliar with Elden Ring Nightreign, it’s not a traditional Souls game. This is a standalone co-op survival action game that doesn’t require the original Elden Ring to play. It launched May 30, 2025, for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC, quickly selling over 3.5 million copies thanks to its unique take on FromSoftware’s combat formula.
The core loop revolves around three-player teams surviving three in-game days in Limveld. Each expedition starts at level one with nothing but basic gear. You explore a randomized open map, fight enemies, loot better weapons, and level up before a shrinking safe zone forces you toward the day’s boss. Standing outside the safe circle inflicts damage from the Night’s Tide, a cursed rain that rapidly drains health.
Day one is about exploration and building your character’s strength. Day two increases difficulty with tougher enemies, better loot, and map shifts that change enemy placements and objectives. Day three culminates in a climactic battle against a Nightlord, and defeating them completes the run. Success rewards you with permanent relics that provide small persistent upgrades to your characters, creating long-term progression across multiple expeditions.
Character Classes and Abilities
Every Nightfarer has three core mechanics. A passive ability that’s always active, a character skill you can activate once it charges, and an ultimate art that deals massive damage or provides game-changing utility. For example, Wylder uses a grappling hook to pull small enemies or launch toward larger foes and terrain, while his ultimate transforms the hookshot into a charged arm cannon that stuns enemies.
Leveling is streamlined compared to traditional Souls games. Instead of manually allocating stats, every level automatically boosts all attributes. Bonfires serve as checkpoints for healing and leveling. Smithing Stones upgrade weapons based on rarity tiers ranging from grey to orange. Boss victories let you pick between three rewards: a better weapon, a stat buff, or a special ability.
The revive system keeps teams together but punishes sloppy play. When a Nightfarer loses all health, they fall and emit a glow. Teammates must attack the downed player to regenerate them before a timer expires. Each subsequent knockdown adds another segment to the revival gauge, making it progressively harder to revive allies who go down repeatedly. If a player fully dies, they lose a level, making later encounters significantly harder.
Post-Launch Support Has Been Strong
Since launching in May, FromSoftware has consistently updated Nightreign with free content. The Everdark Sovereigns update on June 19 added harder versions of Nightlords starting in their second phase with new third phases unlocked. First was Adel, Baron of Night, followed by Fulghor, Champion of Nightglow on June 26. These boss variants give experienced players additional challenges beyond the base game’s difficulty.
A major quality-of-life update introduced Duos mode, allowing two-player expeditions instead of forcing teams of three. This came after player feedback indicated solo play was too punishing and finding third teammates wasn’t always convenient. The Deep of Night mode added another high-difficulty option for hardcore players chasing greater rewards.
The Forsaken Hollows represents the first paid expansion after six months of free updates. The move mirrors FromSoftware’s strategy with Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, delivering substantial content drops that justify premium pricing rather than nickel-and-diming players with small cosmetic packs.
Pricing and What’s Included
The Forsaken Hollows DLC costs $15 as a standalone purchase if you own the base game. However, anyone who bought the Deluxe Edition at launch for $55 already owns this content. The Deluxe Upgrade Pack, available since May 30, is being renamed to The Forsaken Hollows DLC on November 12, so double-check your purchase history before buying to avoid duplicate purchases.
The Collector’s Edition also includes The Forsaken Hollows, so physical collectors don’t need to buy anything extra. Only players who purchased the standard edition need to grab the DLC separately. The base game is required to access the expansion, meaning you can’t jump straight into The Forsaken Hollows without owning Elden Ring Nightreign first.
At $15, the pricing sits comfortably below Shadow of the Erdtree’s $40 launch price while delivering meaningful content in the form of two new characters, multiple bosses, and an entire new underground zone. Whether that represents good value depends on how deeply you’re invested in Nightreign’s co-op loop and how much you’ve exhausted the base game’s content over the past six months.
The Bigger Picture
Elden Ring Nightreign represents FromSoftware’s first major experiment with live service elements and co-op-focused design. Traditional Souls games center around solo exploration with optional multiplayer summoning, but Nightreign flips that formula by making three-player co-op the default experience. The roguelike structure with randomized maps, persistent character progression, and repeatable expeditions creates a game designed for dozens of hours of replayability rather than one 80-hour playthrough.
The success matters because it shows FromSoftware can expand beyond their traditional formula without losing what makes their games special. The tight combat, brutal difficulty, cryptic lore, and atmospheric world-building remain intact while the structure accommodates modern multiplayer trends. If The Forsaken Hollows performs well, expect more paid expansions to extend Nightreign’s lifespan through 2026 and beyond.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does The Forsaken Hollows DLC release?
The Forsaken Hollows launches December 4, 2025, for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam. It’s available simultaneously across all platforms.
How much does The Forsaken Hollows cost?
The DLC costs $15 as a standalone purchase. However, it’s included free with the Deluxe Edition, Collector’s Edition, and Deluxe Upgrade Pack purchased at launch.
Do I need Elden Ring to play Nightreign?
No, Elden Ring Nightreign is a completely standalone game. You don’t need the original Elden Ring to play it, but you do need to own Nightreign to access The Forsaken Hollows DLC.
What are the new characters in The Forsaken Hollows?
Scholar and Undertaker are the two new playable Nightfarers. Scholar focuses on arcane stats and battlefield observation, while Undertaker combines strength and faith for aggressive melee combat with holy abilities.
Can you play Elden Ring Nightreign solo?
Yes, Nightreign supports solo play, though it’s designed around three-player co-op. A Duos mode was added post-launch for two-player expeditions. Solo play is significantly harder but doable with the right builds.
How long is an Elden Ring Nightreign run?
A single expedition takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes if you survive all three days and defeat the final Nightlord. Failed runs obviously end sooner depending on when your team wipes.
Is there cross-platform play?
Yes, Elden Ring Nightreign supports full cross-platform multiplayer across PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, allowing friends on different systems to team up for expeditions.
Conclusion
The Forsaken Hollows marks an important moment for Elden Ring Nightreign. After six months of free updates building goodwill with the community, FromSoftware is testing whether players will pay for substantial expansions. The addition of Scholar and Undertaker gives co-op teams more build variety, the new bosses address repetition concerns, and The Great Hollow provides fresh environments to explore beyond the base game’s map rotation. At $15, the pricing feels reasonable compared to other action game DLC, especially considering Deluxe Edition owners get it included. Whether you’re a day one player who’s exhausted the base content or someone who bounced off initially and wants a reason to return, December 4 offers a compelling excuse to dive back into Limveld’s chaotic three-day expeditions. For FromSoftware, this DLC represents more than just new content, it’s a test of whether their experimental co-op Souls formula has enough staying power to support ongoing expansions.