The download for The Duskbloods closed network test is open on Nintendo Switch 2, and the build is small enough that it should finish long before the first session begins. FromSoftware’s PvPvE Switch 2 exclusive runs its test across five fixed windows between August 21 and August 24, 2026, and only players who were picked back on August 7 can get in.
Quick answer: Sign in to your Nintendo Account on the official network test site, claim the download code issued to you, redeem it in the Nintendo eShop on your Switch 2, and download the 3.8GB build before your first session window opens.
What you need before you preload
Three things gate access, and none of them can be worked around. Codes were only sent to applicants who registered during the July 22–28 window and were then selected, so if nothing arrived on August 7 there is no download to claim.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Console | Nintendo Switch 2 only — the original Switch is not eligible |
| Subscription | Active Nintendo Switch Online membership |
| Access | A download code issued to selected applicants on August 7, 2026 |
| Storage | 3.8GB free space for the test build |
How to claim your code and download the build
Network test session times
The test does not run continuously. FromSoftware split it into five separate four-hour blocks so it can measure server load at different peak periods, and the servers are unreachable outside those blocks. Launching the build at any other time will not connect you to a match.
| Session | PDT | EDT | BST | CEST |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 21, 3:00–7:00 AM | Aug 21, 6:00–10:00 AM | Aug 21, 11:00 AM–3:00 PM | Aug 21, 12:00–4:00 PM |
| 2 | Aug 21, 7:00–11:00 PM | Aug 21, 10:00 PM–Aug 22, 2:00 AM | Aug 22, 3:00–7:00 AM | Aug 22, 4:00–8:00 AM |
| 3 | Aug 22, 11:00 AM–3:00 PM | Aug 22, 2:00–6:00 PM | Aug 22, 7:00–11:00 PM | Aug 22, 8:00 PM–Aug 23, 12:00 AM |
| 4 | Aug 23, 3:00–7:00 AM | Aug 23, 6:00–10:00 AM | Aug 23, 11:00 AM–3:00 PM | Aug 23, 12:00–4:00 PM |
| 5 | Aug 23, 7:00–11:00 PM | Aug 23, 10:00 PM–Aug 24, 2:00 AM | Aug 24, 3:00–7:00 AM | Aug 24, 4:00–8:00 AM |
What the test build includes and what it leaves out
This is a stress test, not a demo, so the build carries only part of what the finished game will offer. Matches support up to eight players who fight as the Bloodsworn, competing for the First Blood while also dealing with the environment around them.
Two modes are absent. There is no co-op, meaning you cannot invite friends into a Dusk Battle together — that arrives with the full release. There is also no solo play mode during the test, though the finished game will include one.
FromSoftware has stated that bugs are expected, since the point of the exercise is to check server load under heavy simultaneous connections, verify multiplayer behavior across different network conditions, and collect balance data from real matches.
Capture is disabled during the test
The Switch 2 Capture Button will not function while the network test build is running. No screenshots and no video clips can be recorded from the console, and sharing footage from the test is not permitted.
Note: this is a deliberate restriction rather than a bug, so pressing the button and getting nothing is the expected behavior.
Common reasons the download will not start
- You are signed in to a different Nintendo Account than the one used to apply, so no code appears on the claim page.
- You applied but were not selected on August 7, in which case no code was issued at all.
- Your Nintendo Switch Online membership has lapsed, which blocks the online portion of the test.
- You are trying to redeem on an original Nintendo Switch rather than a Switch 2.
The Duskbloods remains a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive with a 2026 release window and no confirmed release date. This weekend’s test is the first time anyone outside the studio gets hands on it, which makes finishing the preload early the only real preparation worth doing.
