Unfortunately for fans of older Dark Souls series games, FromSoftware has indefinitely shut down the servers for two entries in the series. FromSoftware’s excellent Dark Souls games propelled the studio to new heights and remain very popular to this day. While there is some debate about which game in the original Dark Souls trilogy is the best, all three of them have enjoyed widespread critical acclaim, with a great deal of praise not just for their expansive single-player content, but for their online functionality as well.
The Dark Souls games let players join others’ worlds to assist them with fighting bosses. Players can also leave messages for other players to help them find secrets or trick them into falling into traps. The more PvP-minded gamers out there can even invade other players’ worlds and try to kill them. Online isn’t necessary to fully enjoy the Dark Souls games, but it does add a lot to the experience, and so it’s a shame that online is currently available for two Dark Souls games.
Why Are Dark Souls 2 and 3 Servers Offline?
At the end of October, FromSoftware took the servers offline for both Dark Souls 2 and Dark Souls 3. At the time the servers were shut down, no explanation was given. FromSoftware has now issued an apology to fans for the inconvenience and has explained that the servers were shut down for all platforms due to “identified security vulnerabilities.” The servers for both Dark Souls 2 and Dark Souls 3 will remain offline indefinitely. Both games will remain playable offline, but fans won’t be able to enjoy their online multiplayer functionality until the servers are restored, and no timetable has been offered as to when that might be.
Dark Souls 2 is one of the more controversial entries in the series due to some of its changes, but it certainly has its fans, and Dark Souls 3 is hailed by many as perhaps the best entry in the franchise to date. No new Dark Souls games have been released since Dark Souls 3, and so those that want to get their online DS fix will have to play Dark Souls Remastered for now. Dark Souls Remastered combines the original game with its post-launch content and makes various quality-of-life enhancements and visual upgrades. It’s a fantastic game, but those that have already had their fill and moved on to 2 and 3 may not be interested in going back while they wait for FromSoftware to bring the servers back online.
One might be more interested in playing a newer FromSoftware game instead. The obvious recommendation would be Elden Ring, which is basically an open world take on the Dark Souls formula. Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition released just a few months ago for the Switch 2, with the Tarnished Pack released for all platforms. This added some new weapons and classes to the game that might make a return visit worth it for those that have already played Elden Ring.
As far as future FromSoftware games go, the studio’s next release is The Duskbloods. The Duskbloods is a PvPvE multiplayer game that is set to launch as a Switch 2 exclusive. It was originally supposed to release before the end of the year, but The Duskbloods‘ release date was recently delayed to an undetermined point in 2027. Hopefully more information on The Duskbloods‘s availability, and the availability of the Dark Souls 2 and 3 online multiplayer servers, will come soon.
- Released
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March 24, 2016
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood Violence
