Elden Ring: Nightreign
Elden Ring Nightreign is a P2P co-op game — but Steam relay still routes your packets. If you have a phone and WiFi, that's two connections. PingAim routes nightreign.exe through whichever has the lowest ping, reducing relay latency and keeping your stream on a separate line.
Does PingAim Help in Elden Ring: Nightreign?
More about Easy Anti-Cheathow it works · what it blocks · known conflicts
Elden Ring Nightreign uses Epic Games' EasyAntiCheat (EAC) at kernel level — activated on February 12, 2025, ahead of the May 29, 2025 launch. This is more invasive than the original Elden Ring's EAC configuration. Online multiplayer requires EAC to be active; disabling it restricts the game to offline solo mode. EAC does not automatically uninstall when the game is removed and requires manual removal via the EAC uninstaller. Steam requires disclosure of kernel-level anti-cheat, which FromSoftware/Bandai Namco added to the game's store page.
VPN and network optimizers
Network optimization tools are not banned. No documented cases of EAC bans for network-level tools. EAC targets cheat software modifying game memory or process state, not network routing tools that operate at the OS network stack level.
Known software conflicts
- Kernel-level EAC may interact with other kernel-level software on the system
- Steam Deck and Linux compatibility not officially confirmed at launch due to kernel-level EAC
- EAC persists after game uninstall — requires manual removal via EAC uninstaller
- Anti-cheatEAC
- ProtocolBOTH
- ConnectionPeer-to-peer
- HostingBandai Namco matchmaking serve…
- EngineProprietary (FromSoftware in-house…
- NATModerate
- LauncherSteam
- Install size40 GB
Why ping matters in Elden Ring: Nightreign
Latency sensitivity HighPing noticeably shapes the experience.
Nightreign's P2P host-authoritative model means latency to the session host — not to any game server — determines your experience. When the host is geographically distant (especially cross-continent to China or South America), all guest players see rubber-banding enemies, delayed hit confirmation on bosses, and multi-second delays on item pickups. Unlike dedicated-server games where PingAim can optimize your path to a fixed server endpoint, in Nightreign your ping target is another player's home connection. That said, PingAim still helps by ensuring your traffic takes the optimal route to Valve's Steam relay infrastructure, which can reduce latency when Steam P2P relay is in use.
About Elden Ring: Nightreignbackground, studio, esports scene
Elden Ring: Nightreign is a standalone co-op action roguelite developed by FromSoftware and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, released on May 29, 2025. Rather than a traditional sequel or expansion, Nightreign reimagines the Elden Ring formula as a 3-player co-op experience with roguelite structure — each run is a self-contained expedition across a condensed version of Limgrave that collapses progressively over three in-game days, forcing players toward a final boss encounter. Players choose from eight Nightfarers, each with distinct abilities and playstyles, and build their character through loot discovered during the run. Meta-progression exists via relics unlocked across multiple runs.
Nightreign inherits Elden Ring's peer-to-peer (P2P) multiplayer architecture. FromSoftware's matchmaking servers broker sessions, but actual gameplay traffic flows directly between players, with one player acting as the session host. This design means the quality of your connection to your co-op partners — rather than to any central game server — determines your multiplayer experience. High latency to the host player produces rubber-banding, delayed hit registration on enemies, and desynced item interactions. The cross-region matchmaking system is notably limited, offering only two zones: Japan and the rest of the world. This results in frequent cross-continental matchmaking, particularly between North America, Europe, and Asia, which drives many of the high-ping complaints on the game's Steam forums.
The game launched with Epic Games' EasyAntiCheat (EAC) operating at kernel level — a significant departure from the original Elden Ring's lighter EAC implementation and FromSoftware's first use of kernel-level anti-cheat. Online play requires EAC to be active, and the software persists on the system after uninstallation unless manually removed. No crossplay exists between PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms, though same-family crossplay (PS4/PS5 together; Xbox One/Series X|S together) is supported.
- Developer
- FromSoftware
- Publisher
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Released
- 2025
- Platforms
- Windows, PlayStation, Xbox
- Engine
- Proprietary (FromSoftware in-house engine)
Explore the Elden Ring: Nightreign Guide
PingAim detects Elden Ring: Nightreign automatically
No manual config. PingAim identifies Elden Ring: Nightreign by process name and routes it through your fastest connection using a kernel-level WFP driver.
When does PingAim help — and when doesn't it?
PingAim helps when...
- You have two network connections (Ethernet + WiFi, or phone tethering) — route nightreign.exe through the faster one
- Steam P2P relay is active in your sessions — reducing RTT to the relay node reduces effective latency to the host
- Your ISP routes traffic through congested links to Steam relay nodes
- You want to ensure Nightreign doesn't compete with other traffic on a congested home network
- You stream while playing — separate Nightreign and OBS/streaming across different connections
Won't help when...
- Your session host is directly across the planet — P2P latency is geographic and unavoidable
- You only have one network connection — PingAim requires two to route differently
- The lag is caused by the session host's own poor connection (common in P2P games)
- You are matched with players in China or South America despite cross-region being off — Nightreign's matchmaking pools are the root cause
- Server-side matchmaking issues (outages, queue errors) — not a routing problem
Related Games
Other games sharing technical traits with Elden Ring: Nightreign — anti-cheat, hosting, engine, or genre.
Community & Official Resources
Where players talk and where the publisher posts updates.
Glossary11 terms used on this page
- Cross-Region
- Nightreign's in-game setting that, when disabled, separates Japan from the Rest-of-World matchmaking pool. Does not subdivide within Rest-of-World.
- EAC
- EasyAntiCheat — Epic Games' anti-cheat system used in Nightreign at kernel level. Monitors for game memory tampering and cheat software.
- Host-authoritative
- The session host's client is the source of truth for game state. Other players receive updates from the host, not from a server.
- NAT
- Network Address Translation — determines how your router handles inbound connections. Open NAT enables direct P2P; Strict NAT forces relay routing.
- Nightfarers
- The eight playable character classes in Nightreign, each with unique abilities and starting equipment.
- P2P
- Peer-to-Peer — gameplay traffic flows directly between players, with one player acting as the host. No neutral game server handles the session state.
- RTT
- Round Trip Time — how long a packet takes to go to the destination and back. In P2P, RTT to the host player determines your latency.
- Rubber-banding
- Visual effect where an enemy or player teleports backward to their true position after a desync — symptom of high latency to the P2P host.
- Steam P2P Relay
- Valve's relay infrastructure used when direct NAT traversal between players fails. Adds latency but enables connectivity through Strict NAT.
- SteamP2PInfo
- Community tool (github.com/tremwil/SteamP2PInfo) that displays per-player ping during Nightreign's character select screen.
- UDP
- User Datagram Protocol — fast network protocol used for P2P gameplay traffic. No waiting for lost packets (unlike TCP).