FromSoftware has announced that the Dark Souls 3 servers are back online, restoring online functionality including PvP and co-op for the RPG game after seven months of downtime following security concerns. The fantasy game developer says that the servers for Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition, Dark Souls: Remastered, and Dark Souls 2 are expected to follow soon afterwards.
All the Dark Souls servers were “temporarily deactivated” on January 23 following the discovery of a serious security exploit that would reportedly allow hackers to remotely take control of another player’s PC through a PvP invasion. A tweet from the FromSoftware player support account says that the team has completed its investigation into the security vulnerability and possible countermeasures, allowing the resumption of online services. Hopefully this means that we can expect online functionality to be restored to the other Dark Souls games sooner rather than later.
A date is not given for the other games but FromSoftware says, “we are working to restore these features for all other Dark Souls titles and will inform you when they are back in service.” The team also thanks fans for their “patience and support” during the past 214 days of downtime. No doubt many players will be eager to hop back into Lothric, Lordran, and Drangleic with friends and strangers alike for some jolly co-operation and devilish duels.
Since the servers were taken down, the release of Elden Ring one month later on February 25 has taken some of the weight off the missing multiplayer functionality, with fans of the series able to dive into FromSoftware’s massive open-world game and get up to plenty of Elden Ring co-op antics with one another. With so much to do, the game’s launch eased the blow of not being able to play any of From’s previous Dark Souls Souls PC games.
If you’re taking this opportunity to dive back into Lothric after enjoying Elden Ring, check out our Dark Souls III beginner’s guide to get you up to speed on everything you need to know. Meanwhile, if you’re working through FromSoftware’s latest mammoth title, be sure to take a look at our picks of the best Elden Ring builds and a guide to all the Elden Ring bosses you’re going to encounter on your journey through the Lands Between.