The Duskbloods The Sixteen Bloodsworn

FromSoftware and Nintendo have confirmed that sixteen Bloodsworn will ship with The Duskbloods when the game launches on Nintendo Switch 2 in 2026. The August Closed Network Test only let players queue with six of them — Albert, Bloodhand Jan, Trang Lanh, Sniper Layla, Senator Samir Patres, and Zork — but post-test coverage from Nintendo Life, Polygon, IGN, and Game Informer now anchors the launch roster at sixteen. This page tracks every confirmed and silhouetted character, explains how the August six fit into the wider launch plan, and walks through what sixteen kits means for matchmaking balance at retail.

If you are looking for the August CNT six with full kit breakdowns, the Roster overview covers every confirmed weapon and Aspect. For an individual character dive, see the Bloodsworn hub.

What FromSoftware confirmed

Director Hidetaka Miyazaki and the FromSoftware communications team have signalled the launch roster in three distinct waves:

• April 2025 reveal and Creator’s Voice — confirmed Bloodsworn exist as a class and that the game ships with a prebuilt roster rather than a character creator. Exact numbers were not specified.
• August 2026 Tokyo hands-on event — confirmed a dozen or more characters at retail in interviews with Polygon, IGN, Game Informer, and Nintendo Life.
• August 2026 post-CNT follow-up interviews — raised the figure to sixteen, with three additional characters appearing in trailers but not in the test build. Nintendo Life’s guide article listed the sixteen confirmed names along with the trailer silhouettes.

The wiki treats sixteen as the working roster size, with the caveat that FromSoftware may trim or expand the line-up before retail launch. Until Nintendo’s eShop listing names each character individually, treat any fan-compiled list as secondary.

The August CNT six

The six Bloodsworn who appeared in the test build are the only ones with officially published weapons, skills, and Aspects. The Roster overview breaks each one down. The CNT six are:

• Albert — sword and submachine gun, beginner-friendly all-rounder.
• Bloodhand Jan — battleaxe and stone of sorcery, aggressive close-range fighter.
• Trang Lanh — ring-blade chakram, stealth and rotation specialist.
• Sniper Layla — long rifle and dual blades, ranged marksman.
• Senator Samir Patres — rapier and firearm, duellist with political flair.
• Zork — greathammer and stone of sorcery, juggernaut closer.

If you mained one of these six during the August CNT, expect the kit to ship at retail largely unchanged.

The trailer silhouettes

Three additional Bloodsworn have appeared in Nintendo Direct and Creator’s Voice trailers but were not playable in the August test build. Polygon noted in its August 20, 2026 hands-on coverage that FromSoftware held these characters back to preserve launch-day reveals. The silhouettes and inferred archetypes:

• Victorian military dress with a duelling sabre and a summoned spectral construct. Implied archetype: parry-heavy duellist with a Kin-style summon.
• Deep-sea diving gear with a harpoon launcher and a giant mechanical familiar. Implied archetype: ranged harpooner with a tanky Kin.
• Early-modern noble attire with a ceremonial blade and a blood-fuelled transformation. Implied archetype: glass-cannon melee fighter with a self-buff finisher.

Press coverage has not named these characters officially. The wiki avoids speculative names and treats them as silhouettes until FromSoftware publishes details. For the inferred mechanics, see Kin summons.

The remaining seven

That leaves seven characters unaccounted for between the August six, the trailer three, and the sixteen-launch target. FromSoftware has not previewed them in any official material. The likely sources for their reveal are:

• Post-CNT trailer drops via the official Duskbloods social channel.
• A second Network Test wave if Nintendo announces one — there has been no signal of this.
• Pre-launch Direct presentations in late 2026, including the rumoured October Direct.
• Pre-launch livestreams featuring new characters per week in the final month.

The wiki will update this page as soon as FromSoftware names additional characters. Until then, the remaining seven are unknown silhouettes, not fan-named characters.

Design implications of sixteen characters

Running sixteen characters into an eight-player match has three meaningful design implications:

• Match variety rises sharply. Press coverage of the August CNT called out how the meta only stabilised on a handful of kits in solo queue. Sixteen kits means more niche picks for solo queue players who want to stand out, and more contested picks for duo queue strategies.
• Role diversity expands. The August six already covered core archetypes (all-rounder, tank, ranger, duellist, stealth, juggernaut). Sixteen kits give room for specialty roles such as dedicated support, healer-light, or summoned-Kin-focused fighters.
• Balance and tutorial pressure increase. FromSoftware’s tutorial has to teach sixteen kits without overwhelming new players. Expect the retail launch to default new accounts to Albert while still letting veterans pick anything. The post-CNT press coverage suggested FromSoftware will lean on the House of Night training area to onboard sixteen kits.

Read How to choose a Bloodsworn for the August six’s archetypes and how the wider roster might shift the meta after launch.

Will the roster grow after launch?

FromSoftware has not committed to a post-launch character roadmap. Elden Ring Nightreign shipped with regular additions and balance patches, and the post-CNT press cycle included Miyazaki’s comments about the meta staying flexible. The wiki treats the launch roster as sixteen until FromSoftware announces expansions. Watch the News hub for any reveal beats.

How to prepare for sixteen characters

Until the wider roster is named, focus on the August six in your practice sessions. The kit you learn now is the kit that will still work at retail.

• Roster overview — full kit breakdown of every confirmed fighter.
• Post-CNT practice guide — convert CNT muscle memory into launch-ready habits.
• How to choose a Bloodsworn — match your play style to the right pick.
• Sigils — the customisation layer that lets one kit fill multiple roles.

Bookmark the Bloodsworn hub and the News hub for confirmed reveals as they drop.

Frequently asked questions

How many Bloodsworn will The Duskbloods have at launch?

FromSoftware confirmed sixteen Bloodsworn for the 2026 retail launch. Six were playable in the August CNT; the rest will be revealed ahead of launch.

Will my favourite trailer character be playable?

Three characters appeared in trailers but not in the August CNT. FromSoftware has not confirmed whether they will be playable at retail, but the trailer footage strongly implies yes. Treat any fan-compiled name as unconfirmed until FromSoftware publishes it.

Are there new characters in post-launch updates?

FromSoftware has not announced a post-launch roadmap. Watch the News hub for confirmed additions.

Can I main a single Bloodsworn in solo queue?

Yes. The August CNT data and FromSoftware’s matchmaking design both support one-tricking a character. Press playtesters reported that mastery of one kit beat switching between multiple kits in solo queue.

Do all sixteen characters have unique weapons?

Yes. Every Bloodsworn has a primary melee weapon and a ranged option. The August CNT six all carried firearms as a deliberate pivot from classic melee-only FromSoft cadence.

Related pages

• Roster overview — every confirmed kit for the August CNT six.
• Bloodsworn hub — the wider character index.
• Twilight of Humanity lore — why the roster spans eras.
• How to choose a Bloodsworn — match your style to the right pick.
• Sigils — the customisation layer behind every kit.