Total Score (Full Window)
82%
Positive review percentage across the full data window.
Window Score Jan 01 – Mar 10
72%
Positive % for selected window.
↓ 10pts vs full window
↓ 10pts vs full window
Executive Summary (based on entire date range)
Day 1 opened at 65% positive (Mixed); recovered to 76% across the 4-day launch window. 313,593 concurrent users (CCU), 3.5M copies in 5 days. Core complaints: no voice chat, no duo mode, reused assets. Recovered to 82% lifetime (LTD) across 177,268 reviews. First 15 days = 51% of all reviews (90,140 of 177,268).
3 of 10 negative spikes trace to content gaps: Jul 24–Aug 12 (pre-duo), Oct 4–Nov 8 (8 weeks zero content), Feb 5–Feb 27 (6-week post-1.03.2). Low-volume days (<100 reviews) average 21.9% neg ratio vs 20.2% on higher-volume days — a modest gap, but the drought periods sustain elevated negativity over weeks rather than spiking sharply.
Deep of Night (Sep 11) drew 105K concurrent users (CCU) but produced a 10-day negative cluster with peak 43.2% neg ratio. Forsaken Hollows downloadable content (DLC) (Dec 4, $15) drew 133K CCU but hit 27.7% neg ratio on launch day (72.3% positive). Core DLC complaint: Great Hollow map’s deadly central chasm.
Nov 24–26 produced 6,091 reviews in 3 days at 97.2% positive, 26x peak-day volume multiplier vs prior 14-day baseline. Convergence of The Game Awards (TGA) Best Multiplayer nomination and Forsaken Hollows downloadable content (DLC) pre-hype. No Steam discount was active; Nightreign was full price during the holiday window. Lifetime (LTD) positive average anchored above post-launch operating reality: Jan 1–Mar 10 averages 77% positive, 5pp below LTD.
Jun 25 PC disconnections (12+ hours during Everdark Sovereign launch) pushed neg ratio to 24.2%. Jan 9 matchmaking failure (311 outages, 66% matchmaking) produced worst single-day neg ratio: 57.6%. Concurrent users (CCU) crashed from ~78K to 35K.
LTD Overview — Drag handles to select date range | Dotted lines = patches
Jan 01 – Mar 10
Daily Reviews — Positive (green) / Negative (red)
Negative Ratio % — Daily Trend
Verified Event Timeline (based on entire date range)
May 29
Game launch — 313K peak CCU; 3.5M copies in 5 days
Launch
v1.01
Jun 2
Patch 1.01.1 — Solo buffs (auto-revive, more runes); no difficulty nerfs
Patch
v1.01.1
Jun 10
Patch 1.01.2 — Bug fixes (Wormface, Demon Merchant)
Patch
v1.01.2
Jun 18
Patch 1.01.3 — Madness weapon drop rates, bug fixes
Patch
v1.01.3
Jun 19
First Everdark Sovereign boss (Gaping Jaw) goes live
Launch
—
Jun 25
PC server disconnections — 12+ hours, coincides with Darkdrift Knight rotation
Outage
—
Jul 2
Patch 1.01.4 — Weapon type display, matchmaking fixes
Patch
v1.01.4
Jul 16
Patch 1.01.5 — Everdark Sovereign boss-stuck fix
Patch
v1.01.5
Jul 31
Patch 1.02 — Duo Expeditions + Everdark Cycle 2 (delayed 1 day by Japan tsunami warning)
Patch
v1.02
Aug 12
Patch 1.02.1 — Bug fixes
Patch
v1.02.1
Aug 14
Everdark Sovereign Equilibrious Beast launch — CCU surged to 95K
Launch
—
Aug 21
Everdark Sovereign Tricephalos launch — CCU surged to 94K
Launch
—
Sep 10
Patch 1.02.2 — Balance changes to all Nightfarer classes
Patch
v1.02.2
Sep 11
Deep of Night mode launch — Endless high-difficulty expedition mode
Launch
—
Sep 24
Patch 1.02.3 — Deep of Night adjustments (voluntary demotion added)
Patch
v1.02.3
Oct 7
Patch 1.02.4 — Bug fixes only; no new content
Patch
v1.02.4
Nov 11
Forsaken Hollows DLC announced at Sony State of Play Japan
—
Nov 17
TGA 2025 nominations — Nightreign nominated Best Multiplayer
—
Nov 24
TGA nomination + DLC pre-hype review surge begins (no Steam discount active)
—
Dec 3
Patch 1.03 — DLC support; co-op improvements
Patch
v1.03
Dec 4
Forsaken Hollows DLC launch ($15) — 27.7% neg ratio on launch day; 133K CCU
Launch
—
Dec 18
Steam Winter Sale begins — first Steam discount (25% off)
—
Dec 24
Hotfix 1.03.1 — Balancers boss + DLC costume disappearance bug acknowledged
Hotfix
v1.03.1
Jan 9
Server outage — 311 reports; 66% matchmaking failures; CCU crashed to 35K
Outage
—
Jan 15
Patch 1.03.2 — Balance changes; Scholar pot build nerfed
Patch
v1.03.2
Positive Themes (based on entire date range)
Expand All
▶
2 spikes
Commercial Launch Momentum
Despite the weakest Steam launch reception for any FromSoftware title (65% Day 1, recovering to 76% across the launch window), commercial performance was strong: 3.5M copies sold in 5 days and 313K peak concurrent users (CCU). Patch 1.01.3 (Jun 18) and the first Everdark Sovereign boss (Jun 19) produced a visible review uptick and 45% CCU surge, showing early-lifecycle content could still drive engagement.
▶
2 spikes
Content Announcement Restored Hope
After 5 months of content drought anxiety, the Forsaken Hollows downloadable content (DLC) reveal at Sony State of Play Japan (Nov 11) produced an immediate positive review surge: 179 reviews on Nov 12 vs the ~75/day baseline, with 143 positive (79.9%). Downloadable content (DLC) eve hype on Dec 3 drove concurrent users (CCU) up 68% with 92.2% positive sentiment before the launch-day reception turned negative.
▶
1 spike
Duo Mode Recovery
When FromSoftware delivered the single most-requested feature — duo mode — in patch 1.02 (Jul 31), concurrent users (CCU) more than doubled from ~48K to 109K. The update validated community feedback as a sentiment driver.
▶
1 spike
Seasonal Events and Awards Recognition
The convergence of The Game Awards (TGA) Best Multiplayer nomination and Forsaken Hollows downloadable content (DLC) pre-hype produced 6,091 reviews in 3 days at 97.2% positive. No discount was active; the surge came from existing players responding to awards buzz and upcoming content, not price-driven acquisition.
Negative Themes (based on entire date range)
Expand All
▶
3 spikes
Content Drought Drives Sustained Negativity
Dominant negative pattern. Gaps between content updates mechanically inflate neg ratios. Jul–Aug pre-duo frustration, 8-week Oct–Nov gap, Feb–Mar update drought.
▶
3 spikes
Controversial Major Updates
All three major content additions received mixed-to-negative reception. Deep of Night (Sep 11) criticized for overtuned difficulty (43.2% peak neg ratio). Forsaken Hollows downloadable content (DLC) (Dec 4) hit 27.7% neg ratio on launch day. The Great Hollow map’s deadly chasm sustained a backlash press wave through Jan 22, with 73% of recent neg reviews targeting the map design.
▶
2 spikes
Launch-Era Feature Gaps
Missing features at launch (no voice chat, no duo mode, solo difficulty) drove sustained negativity in the first month. The Steam Winter Sale influx exposed these gaps to a new buyer cohort.
Positive Review Outliers
HIGH Official source
MED Data + reporting
LOW Pattern only
Showing window events only
View All Events
1
MAY 29
— Launch
Validation HIGH
- 313,593 peak concurrent users (CCU) on launch day; 3.5M copies sold within 5 days
- 14,533 positive reviews on Day 2 (May 30); 44,514 total reviews in first 4 days
- 65% positive on Day 1 (May 29), recovering to 76% across launch window (May 29–Jun 1)
2
JUN 18
— Patch 1.01.3 + First Everdark Sovereign
Validation HIGH
- Patch 1.01.3 deployed Jun 18 (madness weapon drop rates, PC freeze fix); first Everdark Sovereign boss (Gaping Jaw) went live Jun 19
- 1,696 positive reviews on Jun 18 (+29% day-over-day); neg ratio 9.8% on Jun 18, lowest in the surrounding window
- Concurrent users (CCU) on Jun 19 surged from 111,905 to 162,631 as Everdark Sovereign launched
- 3,390 total reviews across Jun 18–19 at 88.3% positive
3
JUL 31
— Duo Expeditions v1.02
Validation HIGH
- Patch 1.02 added duo mode (the single most-requested feature since launch), Everdark Sovereign Cycle 2, Relic quality-of-life improvements
- Concurrent users (CCU) surged from ~48K to 109K; 439 positive reviews Jul 31
- Update was delayed 1 day (from Jul 30) following a tsunami warning in Japan
4
NOV 12
— Forsaken Hollows Announced
Validation HIGH
- Revealed at Sony State of Play Japan (Nov 11); 179 reviews next day vs ~75/day baseline
- Downloadable content (DLC) details announced: 2 new Nightfarers, 2 new bosses, The Great Hollow map
- Dec 4 launch date set; ended 5 months of content drought anxiety
5
NOV 24
— The Game Awards (TGA) Nomination + Downloadable Content (DLC) Pre-Hype
Validation MED
- 2,821 positive reviews on Nov 25 (peak day); 6,091 total in 3 days at 97.2% positive
- The Game Awards (TGA) Best Multiplayer nomination (Nov 17) and Forsaken Hollows downloadable content (DLC) announcement (Nov 12) drove anticipation; general holiday traffic may have contributed
- Nightreign was not discounted during this period — spike reflects community engagement with announcements, not price-driven acquisition
6
DEC 3
— Forsaken Hollows Downloadable Content (DLC) Eve Hype
Validation MED
- Concurrent users (CCU) surged 68% day-over-day (42,688 → 71,913) as players returned ahead of DLC launch
- Dec 3: 462 reviews at 92.2% positive (7.8% neg ratio)
- Forsaken Hollows downloadable content (DLC) launched globally the following day; US players could access it late evening Dec 3, driving pre-hype returns
Negative Review Outliers
HIGH Official source
MED Data + reporting
LOW Pattern only
Showing window events only
View All Events
1
JUN 14
— Post-Launch Discontent
Validation MED
- 426 negative reviews (19.6% neg ratio); player count had dropped ~55% in 2 weeks
- Patches 1.01.1 and 1.01.2 addressed bugs but not core complaints: no voice chat, no duo mode, reused content
- No single discrete event; reflects sustained frustration from unaddressed launch issues
2
JUN 25
— PC Server Disconnections
Validation HIGH
- 12+ hours of PC-only disconnections coinciding with Darkdrift Knight Everdark Sovereign rotation start
- 298 negative reviews Jun 25; 24.2% neg ratio — elevated for the first month of data
- Steam Summer Sale started Jun 26, increasing visibility of the broken state to new visitors
3
JUL 24
— Pre-Duo Content Drought
Validation MED
- By late July, 85% player loss from launch peak (313K to ~48K); only bug-fix patches shipped
- No new content, no duo mode, no voice chat after 8 weeks; Everdark Sovereign rotations recycled original bosses
- Neg ratio elevated to 17–22% on low volume days; no discrete triggering event found
4
SEP 10
— Deep of Night Backlash
Validation HIGH
- 10-day negative cluster; peak 43.2% neg ratio on Sep 14, peak neg count 128 on Sep 10
- Deep of Night mode launched Sep 11; concurrent users (CCU) surged to 105K but reception was sharply negative (43.2% neg ratio at peak)
- Complaints: overtuned difficulty (one-shot bosses), punishing rank system, cheater prevalence, poor rewards
- FromSoftware responded with voluntary demotion feature in Patch 1.02.3 (Sep 24)
5
OCT 4
— Content Drought Plateau
Validation MED
- 8 weeks with zero content updates after bug-fix-only Patch 1.02.4 (Oct 7); neg ratio sustained at 30–37%
- Kadokawa Q2 earnings report (Nov 6) acknowledged declining player engagement (GamesRadar); Kotaku (Nov 7) described game in “hibernation mode,” Deep of Night “a dud”
6
DEC 4
— Forsaken Hollows Launch
Validation HIGH
- First paid downloadable content (DLC) at $15; 27.7% neg ratio on launch day (Dec 4), 25.3% across Dec 4–7 window
- Concurrent users (CCU) surged to 133,355; 127 negative reviews Dec 4
- Core complaints: Great Hollow map’s deadly central chasm, only 2 new weapons — Scholar’s Thrusting Sword and Undertaker’s Hammer, both character-locked (Fextralife) — insufficient content for price
7
DEC 21
— Winter Sale Mixed Reception
Validation HIGH
- Steam Winter Sale (Dec 18 – Jan 5) brought first Steam discount (25% off); new buyer influx encountered downloadable content (DLC) issues
- Neg ratio peaked 33.6% on Dec 25 (108 negative reviews); holiday period saw sustained 29–33% neg ratios
- Hotfix 1.03.1 (Dec 24) acknowledged DLC costume disappearance bug — paid content lost
8
JAN 9
— Server Outage / Matchmaking Failure
Validation HIGH
- Worst neg ratio in dataset: 57.6% (174 negative vs 128 positive reviews on Jan 9)
- 311 outage reports in 24 hours; 66% matchmaking failures; concurrent users (CCU) crashed from ~78K to 35K
- Residual negativity continued to Jan 12 (43.3% neg ratio, 104 negative reviews)
- Note: the single-day CCU crash (54% drop, full recovery next day to 90K) is also consistent with a partial-day data collection gap
9
JAN 22
— Backlash Press Wave
Validation HIGH
- TheGamer (Jan 21): downloadable content (DLC) “Still Sitting At Mostly Negative”; 73% of recent neg reviews target Great Hollow map
- GamingBible (Jan 22): players slam “controversial new area” with deadly chasm
- Patch 1.03.2 (Jan 15) had nerfed the Scholar pot build, compounding frustration
10
FEB 5
— Late Content Drought
Validation MED
- No updates since Patch 1.03.2 (Screen Rant, Jan 15); 6+ week gap; neg ratio volatile at low volume (0–39%, spiking on days with few reviews)
- Game Rant (Mar 11): “Is Elden Ring Nightreign Still Worth Playing?” amid update drought
- Low volume (52–115 reviews/day) with declining base skewing toward frustrated reviewers
Bibliography
Validation sources for all numbered spike markers. Numbers correspond to chart markers.
Showing window sources only
View All Sources
Positive Review Outliers
1
Launch (May 29 – Jun 1)
Kotaku — Launch reception coverage; complaints list (no voice chat, no duos, reused assets)
Game Rant — 313,593 peak CCU on Steam launch day
Push Square — 3.5 million copies sold within 5 days
Kotaku — Launch reception coverage; complaints list (no voice chat, no duos, reused assets)
Game Rant — 313,593 peak CCU on Steam launch day
Push Square — 3.5 million copies sold within 5 days
2
Patch 1.01.3 + First Everdark Sovereign (Jun 18 – 19)
Bandai Namco EU — Official patch 1.01.3 notes (Jun 18)
Bandai Namco EU — Everdark Sovereigns announced; Gaping Jaw live Jun 19
Bandai Namco EU — Official patch 1.01.3 notes (Jun 18)
Bandai Namco EU — Everdark Sovereigns announced; Gaping Jaw live Jun 19
3
Duo Expeditions v1.02 (Jul 31 – Aug 2)
Bandai Namco EU — Official patch 1.02 notes
Game Rant — Duo mode update delayed by Japan tsunami warning
Steam Charts — July 2025 monthly peak 118,200 CCU
Bandai Namco EU — Official patch 1.02 notes
Game Rant — Duo mode update delayed by Japan tsunami warning
Steam Charts — July 2025 monthly peak 118,200 CCU
4
Forsaken Hollows Announced (Nov 12)
PlayStation Blog — DLC revealed at Sony State of Play Japan
FromSoftware — Official DLC debut announcement
Game Informer — DLC details: Scholar, Undertaker, Great Hollow map
PlayStation Blog — DLC revealed at Sony State of Play Japan
FromSoftware — Official DLC debut announcement
Game Informer — DLC details: Scholar, Undertaker, Great Hollow map
5
6
Forsaken Hollows DLC Eve Hype (Dec 3)
PC Gamer — DLC release time guide; Dec 3 evening in US time zones
Bandai Namco EU — Official DLC reveal; Dec 4 global launch
PC Gamer — DLC release time guide; Dec 3 evening in US time zones
Bandai Namco EU — Official DLC reveal; Dec 4 global launch
Negative Review Outliers
1
Post-Launch Discontent (Jun 14)
The Gamer — Patch 1.01.1 solo buffs insufficient
Inven Global — Steam reviews recovered from Mixed to Very Positive (80%)
The Gamer — Patch 1.01.1 solo buffs insufficient
Inven Global — Steam reviews recovered from Mixed to Very Positive (80%)
2
PC Server Disconnections (Jun 25 – 27)
Comicbook.com — Server issues after Darkdrift Knight boss update (Jun 26)
The Flagship Eclipse — “Server Problems at the Worst Possible Time” (Jun 26)
Comicbook.com — Server issues after Darkdrift Knight boss update (Jun 26)
The Flagship Eclipse — “Server Problems at the Worst Possible Time” (Jun 26)
3
Pre-Duo Content Drought (Jul 24 – Aug 12)
Dual Shockers — 85% player loss from peak
Game Rant — Steam player count down 82% from launch
Dual Shockers — 85% player loss from peak
Game Rant — Steam player count down 82% from launch
4
Deep of Night Backlash (Sep 10 – 19)
@ELDENRING Twitter — Patch 1.02.2 maintenance + Deep of Night schedule
Game Informer — Deep of Night announcement
Steam Community — Cheaters on launch day; modded relics, 15K damage per spell
Steam Community — Depth 5 massive cheating issue; 20+ cheaters in one week
Game Rant — Patch 1.02.3 added voluntary demotion feature
@ELDENRING Twitter — Patch 1.02.2 maintenance + Deep of Night schedule
Game Informer — Deep of Night announcement
Steam Community — Cheaters on launch day; modded relics, 15K damage per spell
Steam Community — Depth 5 massive cheating issue; 20+ cheaters in one week
Game Rant — Patch 1.02.3 added voluntary demotion feature
5
Content Drought Plateau (Oct 4 – Nov 8)
Bandai Namco EU — Patch 1.02.4 bug-fix-only (Oct 7)
GamesRadar — Kadokawa Q2 earnings: declining engagement acknowledged (Nov 6)
Kotaku — “Hibernation mode”; Deep of Night “a dud” (Nov 7)
Bandai Namco EU — Patch 1.02.4 bug-fix-only (Oct 7)
GamesRadar — Kadokawa Q2 earnings: declining engagement acknowledged (Nov 6)
Kotaku — “Hibernation mode”; Deep of Night “a dud” (Nov 7)
6
Forsaken Hollows Launch (Dec 4 – 7)
GamesRadar — DLC launched at 46% positive
GamingBible — DLC review breakdown at launch
Bandai Namco EU — Official v1.03 patch notes
GamesRadar — DLC launched at 46% positive
GamingBible — DLC review breakdown at launch
Bandai Namco EU — Official v1.03 patch notes
7
Winter Sale Mixed Reception (Dec 21 – Jan 4)
Game Informer — Nightreign in Steam Winter Sale (Dec 18 – Jan 5)
Bandai Namco EU — Hotfix 1.03.1; costume disappearance bug acknowledged
Game Informer — Nightreign in Steam Winter Sale (Dec 18 – Jan 5)
Bandai Namco EU — Hotfix 1.03.1; costume disappearance bug acknowledged
8
Server Outage / Matchmaking Failure (Jan 9 – 12)
Technobezz — 311 outage reports; 66% matchmaking failures
The Escapist — Cloudflare outage caused Steam matchmaking failure; Nightreign named (Jan 9)
Cloudflare Status — Official incident history confirming Jan 9 infrastructure issues
Technobezz — 311 outage reports; 66% matchmaking failures
The Escapist — Cloudflare outage caused Steam matchmaking failure; Nightreign named (Jan 9)
Cloudflare Status — Official incident history confirming Jan 9 infrastructure issues
9
Backlash Press Wave (Jan 22)
TheGamer — DLC still Mostly Negative; 73% target Great Hollow map
GamingBible — Players slam “controversial new area”
Bandai Namco EU — Patch 1.03.2 balance changes
TheGamer — DLC still Mostly Negative; 73% target Great Hollow map
GamingBible — Players slam “controversial new area”
Bandai Namco EU — Patch 1.03.2 balance changes
10
Late Content Drought (Feb 5 – 27)
Screen Rant — Patch 1.03.2 (Jan 15): last update before drought
Game Rant — “Is Elden Ring Nightreign Still Worth Playing?” (Mar 11)
Patchbot — Patch timeline confirms no updates between Jan 15 and data cutoff
Screen Rant — Patch 1.03.2 (Jan 15): last update before drought
Game Rant — “Is Elden Ring Nightreign Still Worth Playing?” (Mar 11)
Patchbot — Patch timeline confirms no updates between Jan 15 and data cutoff
