The announcement of Elden Ringspin-off, Elden Ring Night Reignit made many players question some of the connections with the current world. So farNight Reign is a standalone adventure that takes place within the Elden Ring universe and is intended to be a full co-op experience, rather than multiplayer being optional in Elden Ring. The game itself takes place over three days and nights and can be replayed to gain a new experience each time, but what does that actually entail?
Since The game takes place in a universe apparently parallel to the events of Elden RingIs there a bigger connection to some of FromSoftware's other games? There are terrifying bosses at the end of each day, apparently acting in the service of a god called the Night Lord. The parallels with Elden Ring and other FromSoft titles may lead to reasoning as to why The Nameless King of Dark Souls makes an appearance in the series.
Why Nightreign's timeline placement is so confusing
Nightreign tells a parallel story
Night Reign takes place in a timeline that diverges from the Elden Ring, therefore, there are few direct connections to the main game. Because of these differences, there may be some greater connection with Nox, since the Elden Ring tradition describes how they live under a false night sky after their banishment and await a being called the Night Lord. Because of the supposed connection here based on some stories, there are many problems in trying to determine where Night Reign actually occurs in the timeline.
At the same time, however, there is also the appearance of the Nameless King of Dark Souls 3 which completely eliminates the ability to place Night Reign on its own timeline. There are also glimpses of the Erdtree, which was already a homage to the arched trees of previous games. Because the convergence of so many FromSoft games makes Night ReignThe lore is almost absurd, it's a wonder that other titles could be included in the game's final form; perhaps Transmitted by blood will have time to shine again.
Where could Nightreign take place?
Where does your timeline diverge?
The potential connection between the Night Lord and the Night Lord of the Nox suggests that the timeline may have split around the time of Elden RingIt's breaking. Theories suggest that Night ReignRahdahn's three-night cycle is born from a timeline where Rahdahn did not become the Starscourge or be killed during combat. There is also a lack of gold in Night Reignas seen by the darkness taking over the Places of Grace and turning them into silvery pools.
Due to the lack of standard links with Elden Ring or direct connections to other titles outside of bosses and other enemies, it's difficult to decide where Night Reign could actually be happening in terms of timeline. I think it's more than likely that the Shattering was more catastrophic than expected and gave rise to the Night Lord, who rules Limveld malevolently. Unfortunately, more concrete answers will likely have to wait until Elden Ring Night Kingdom releases, when players get more details on story details.