Hidetaka Miyazaki Clears Up The Duskbloods PvPvE Label Confusion
The Duskbloods director Hidetaka Miyazaki has admitted that the game’s original genre label—presented publicly alongside its Nintendo Switch 2 reveal—created confusion about what the title actually plays like. In a recent interview, he said the way the project was initially described didn’t fully capture its structure, and that players may have read it as something closer to an extraction shooter.
Why “PvPvE” caused confusion
The official announcement for The Duskbloods on Nintendo Switch 2 included a description of the game as “PvPvE.” Miyazaki said that label is now widely associated with the extraction shooter genre, which shaped expectations that didn’t match the team’s intent.
Addressing the mismatch directly, he explained that the studio didn’t set out to force the project into that single classification when pitching it to Nintendo. Instead, he argued that the game’s design is more layered than the shorthand implies.
What Miyazaki says the game is built around
Miyazaki highlighted several systems that, in his view, define The Duskbloods more than the PvPvE tag itself. Chief among them are the game’s Seal system and Event mechanics, which are designed to keep players in a constant rhythm of drama and momentum. He also pointed to relationships and the Virtues system as contributing factors to how matches and progression feel.
He stressed that the gameplay isn’t “PvP 100%.” According to his description, there are ways to win and enjoy matches without focusing solely on direct fights against other players.
A hybrid design with enemy inspiration
When discussing the broader structure, Miyazaki described The Duskbloods as a blend rather than a single-mode experience. He said that calling it PvPvE makes it sound like that is all there is, while calling it purely PvE also fails to reflect the full picture—so the team views it as a combination of both.
He also noted that the game’s enemies draw inspiration from the studio’s earlier titles, and that incorporating them aligned with the team’s development approach.
Director’s takeaway on the original announcement
Miyazaki acknowledged the earlier communication could have been clearer. He said that when the game was initially presented as PvPvE, it likely led to confusion—particularly the idea that the title would resemble an extraction-style game where “gameplay” associations form quickly. Looking back, he said he and the team now feel that “maybe it wasn’t the best way to define it,” even if the label reflected the reasoning at the time.
