The multiplayer servers for all Dark Souls games are still down on PC, but when will they come back online?
The Dark Souls franchise is one of the most enduring multiplayer games in existence. Though the games are technically single-player experiences, there are PVE and PVP components that make every playthrough unique. Or at least there were until January.
Ahead of the release of Elden Ring, Namco Bandai announced that PC servers for all Dark Souls titles were taken offline due to a security issue. This stemmed from a remote code execution exploit. RCE exploits are a catastrophic security issue for gamers. It could hypothetically allow hackers to use Dark Souls multiplayer to inject viruses into other players’ computers.
There were no reported hacks using Dark Souls games, but this was an enormous issue that needed to be remedied. Console versions of each Dark Souls game, as well as Bloodborne, were unaffected.
The servers were taken down in January of 2022. The
development team later stated
that a fix wouldn’t be shipped until after the launch of Elden Ring on February 25.
But more than two months removed from the release of Elden Ring, there’s no word. So are the Dark Souls servers on PC down for good at this point? Here’s what we know.
It’s unknown when Dark Souls servers will come back online, but they will eventually
According to Namco Bandai, Dark Souls servers will be coming back online for the PC.
A social media user received a response from Namco Bandai customer support that explicitly stated that Dark Souls servers will be brought back at some point. No exact timetable was given for when that will be, though.
“I’m happy to confirm that the developers are actively working on resolving the issue in question and re-launching the Dark Souls servers for PC as soon as possible. For the moment, we do not have an estimate of when this is expected to happen,” a Bandai Namco representative said in an email.
While it’s notable that servers have been down for almost four months now, FromSoftware has been working on other important projects. Elden Ring has had multiple significant gameplay updates and DLC is likely in the works. Given how severe these issues were, they will likely require some careful work to be fixed.
The good news is that while Dark Souls is still down on PC, players really itching for a jaunt through Lothric, Drangleic, or Lordran can still play offline on PC or normally on consoles. Those looking for cooperative or
PvP action
can find plenty of both with Elden Ring.
Steven Rondina
About Steven Rondina
Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.
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