Elden Ring Nightreign Max Level Is Useless – Here’s Why

Okay, so Elden Ring Nightreign dropped with a pretty surprising level cap — just 15 levels, compared to the original Elden Ring’s whopping 713 max level at launch. That alone has a lot of players scratching their heads. But it gets weirder. Dataminers digging through the game’s code have now confirmed that the last three levels in Nightreign barely make any difference. They’re almost completely pointless. Yeah, those final boosts barely move the needle.

At first glance, it looks like leveling up in Nightreign should be a straightforward grind — hit the max level, get all the juicy perks, feel powerful. Except, here’s the kicker: the way Nightreign handles stats is super unconventional. Instead of raw numbers like you might expect, your character’s abilities are shown as letter ranks — S, A, B, C, and so on. But each letter means something totally different depending on the stat you’re looking at.

One popular Soulsborne YouTuber, Zullie the Witch, took a deep dive and broke down how all this works. Turns out, “S Rank” in strength doesn’t mean the same as “S Rank” in intellect or any other attribute. For example, hitting S Rank in strength means your character has 70 points in that stat, but S Rank in intellect is only 50 points. So, even the same letter grade across stats isn’t a consistent measure — it’s all over the place. It’s confusing as hell if you’re just casually looking at your character sheet.

When it comes to levelling, what this means is that your increments are small and sometimes barely noticeable, especially towards the top end. Those last three levels — 13, 14, and 15 — only give you a tiny bump, like one or two points per stat. So, grinding all the way to max feels like a waste of time for most players because it doesn’t really change your power level much.

Credit: Zullie the Witch on YouTube

Now, this is important for anyone diving into Nightreign, especially because it’s FromSoftware’s latest multiplayer offshoot. The game’s based on the skeleton of the original Elden Ring but with plenty of changes to fit the online, PvP-heavy environment. Knowing the level cap and stat quirks helps set expectations before you invest hours into character building.

To put it in perspective, the original Elden Ring hit a massive milestone recently, having sold over 35 million copies worldwide. Nightreign is still riding that wave, but it’s clear FromSoftware is experimenting with how to handle progression in a multiplayer setting — and it’s not just a direct copy-paste of the single-player formula. Nevertheless, the game managed to sell 3.5 million copies and finally got a two-player mode, which already simplifies the launch for fans. Don't expect an official single-player.

With this low max level and funky stat system, FromSoftware seems to be encouraging players to focus less on reaching an arbitrary cap and more on skill and strategy, which fits with the Soulsborne spirit. But for completionists or stat min-maxers, it might feel underwhelming.

Looking ahead, FromSoftware has committed to supporting Nightreign post-launch with more enemies, bosses, and potentially new content. There’s talk that the level cap could increase in future updates, which might require a rework of this system altogether. Because right now, the leveling curve near the top is almost a joke.

This approach to stats and leveling also reflects a broader design philosophy that’s been evolving since Elden Ring’s launch. Players aren’t just numbers on a sheet — the letters and thresholds encourage you to think about what your character can actually do rather than just pumping points blindly.

For newcomers wondering whether to jump into Nightreign now or wait, understanding the leveling system is key. It’s not about maxing out stats for the sake of it. It’s about mastering what your build can do in tactical, high-stakes multiplayer battles.

The game’s weird stat system and low max level might turn off some players looking for a traditional RPG experience, but it also opens the door for a different kind of challenge — one focused on player skill and adapting to the evolving multiplayer meta.

If you’re already playing, this means don’t sweat the last few levels too much. Focus on experimenting with builds and learning the game’s mechanics instead.

In summary, Elden Ring Nightreign’s max level is capped at 15, but levels 13 to 15 barely provide meaningful stat increases, making them nearly useless. Its unique letter-based stat system assigns different numeric thresholds to each rank per attribute, complicating traditional understanding of character progression. FromSoftware’s decision likely emphasizes player skill over raw stats, with future updates expected to expand content and possibly raise the level cap.