Crimson Moon director keeps the door open for Nintendo Switch 2

Crimson Moon is carving out its own space among the growing number of Soulslikes, pairing challenging combat with shorter runs, adjustable difficulty, and a focus on playing at your own pace. I’ve been really digging its roguelike approach, jumping in for a few runs, or failed attempts, rather, on my ROG Ally. While it’s currently available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, there’s one obvious platform missing from the lineup: Nintendo Switch 2.

Nintendo’s handheld has quickly become a home for plenty of new Switch games that previously seemed unlikely to make it on the company’s hardware in the past. Between Cyberpunk 2077, Elden Ring, and a brand-new remaster of The Witcher 3, we’re only just scratching the surface of what the console can do. With that in mind, I asked game director David Lesperance whether Crimson Moon could eventually join the handheld’s roster. He doesn’t confirm a port, but his answer certainly doesn’t shut the idea down.

“We’re focused on giving the best possible experience to PC, PS5, and Xbox players at this time, but we’re excited to see the interest in bringing Crimson Moon to as many players as possible.” That doesn’t amount to a Nintendo Switch 2 confirmation, but it’s also notably not a firm no.

A Nintendo Switch 2 version could also suit the game’s design philosophy. Rather than demanding the huge time investment traditionally associated with Soulslikes, Crimson Moon aims to let players make meaningful progress whether they have 15 minutes or several hours to spare – ideal for handheld players.

“As gamers ourselves, we have no shortage of games to play, so one of the things that we wanted to do with Crimson Moon was make it easy for players to get in and get out, and feel like they accomplished something,” Lesperance says. The game also tries to soften some of the genre’s usual friction through a lives system and adjustable difficulty. Players can choose between two and five skulls, with two acting as the standard difficulty before players can increase the challenge as they improve their parrying, dodging, and build-crafting skills.

Co-op is another major part of Crimson Moon’s approach. “My foundational roots as a gamer are in co-op because I grew up playing with my brothers, so co-op has always been a big, important driver for me,” he says. “One of the best things about games is being able to bring people together and share great moments.”

While grinding this genre is typically a solo endeavor, I’m all for bringing in a few mates. One of my favorite multiplayer experiences in the last year was completing Elden Ring: Nightreign with my best friends. There were plenty of laughs and tears across those hours.

For now, then, Nintendo Switch 2 players will have to wait. In the meantime, you can check out our list of the best Soulslike games and dive into the rest of our Crimson Moon interview, too.