On June 18,Elden Ring Nightreignreceived its first significant piece of post-launch content in the form of an Everdark Sovereign. For the uninitiated, Everdark Sovereigns are more challenging versions of the game’s standard Nightlords, and the Sovereign that is available is set to change every week. Currently, a powered-up version ofElden Ring Nightreign’s Adel, Baron of the Night (Gaping Jaw) is in Limveld, and everything points towards him being replaced with another enhanced boss on June 25.
These challenging battles seem like a great way to keep players engaged with the game moving forward, but they are, unfortunately, not available to everyone. More specifically, offline players are not able to test their skills againstNightreign’s Everdark Sovereigns, as these bosses are only accessible in online mode. While this requirement may not create serious issues for the majority of the playerbase, it undoubtedly diminishes the experience for those who play exclusively offline.
Nightreign’s Everdark Sovereigns Are Only Available in Online Mode
Nightreignhas always been marketed as a co-op-focused game that is best experienced with others online, and, indeed, that is exactly how many players engage with the title. That said, it is absolutely possible to playNightreignsolo, and there are certainly reasons to do so in offline mode. Namely, there is a cost associated with accessing the game’s online mode when playing on a console, as a PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass Core subscription is required.
Initially, console players who were only interested in solo play could forego the expense of those subscriptions without feeling as though they were missing out on significant content. That has changed with the release of the first Everdark Sovereign, though, as there is now a notable disparity between the battles that online and offlineNightreignplayerscan access. Additionally, there are features that are only available to players who take down Sovereigns, which means that there is content beyond the fights themselves that is simply inaccessible to those in offline mode.
Players Must Beat an Everdark Sovereign to Unlock Nightreign’s Collector Signboard
The aforementioned features are tied toNightreign’s Collector Signboard, a vendor that appears in Roundtable Hold after defeating an Everdark Sovereign. This vendor gives players access to a catalog that can be used to exchange Sovereign Sigils, a currency that is awarded upon dispatching Everdark Sovereigns, for various vessels, relics, and cosmetics. While there are no new outfits available through the Collector Signboard, there are some powerful items, including a particular Grand Luminous Scene relic with the following effects:
Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, the Collector Signboard allows players to choose the Shifting Earth event that will occur during their next expeditions. These events offer unique rewards, and they are often great ways to reach max level before engaging the expedition’s Nightlord. Having direct control overNightreign’s Shifting Earth eventscan thus be very useful, and offline players cannot gain access to the feature due to its connection to the Everdark Sovereigns.
The Collector Signboard also lets players change the appearance of Roundtable Hold and swap between the Cracked Witch’s Brooch and Witch’s Brooch, relics that can be earned during theGuardian Remembrance quest, though these features are not as useful as those that have been mentioned previously.
WhileNightreigncan be enjoyed without having access to the Everdark Sovereigns, it would certainly be nice if offline players were eventually able to experience those challenging bosses for themselves. Additionally, it would be great if there was an alternative way by which those players could earn the Collector Signboard’s vessels and relics and use its Shifting Earth feature. For now, though, this content is reserved exclusively for online players, making online mode the truly definitive way to experience the game.
