Dark Souls 2's PS3 and Xbox 360 versions will have their servers taken permanently offline next year.
The news was confirmed by the official Dark Souls Twitter account, which stated the 2014 game's servers will be offline as of March 31, 2024. Players on PS3 and Xbox 360 will be warned of this via an in-game message and, it can of course still be played fully offline.
The Twitter account also confirmed that servers for the game's PC version, as well as for the PS4 and Xbox One's Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin, will remain online for players to continue enjoying co-op, PvP, and other online elements such as covenant interactions and leaving messages for others. And yes, this version of the game is backward compatible on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles.
The #DarkSouls2 PS3 and Xbox 360 servers will shut down on March 31, 2024.A message stating that online play is disabled will be displayed. Offline play will still be possible.PC, PS4 & Xbox One servers will not be affected.Thank you to those who have played since launch.December 22, 2023
While it's likely that Dark Souls 2's online user base is relatively minuscule on PS3 and Xbox 360 these days, it's nevertheless a shame to see the game's oldest servers come to a permanent end. Especially so for players who don't own more up-to-date systems or simply prefer the base game before the Scholar of the First Sin version's divisive changes.
Dark Souls 2 is largely considered to be the black sheep of the Souls trilogy. And to an extent that's true, as it features relatively linear and uninteresting level design and a rather bland art direction when compared to the games that bookend the trilogy.
That being said, Dark Souls 2 has arguably the most fun and interesting online environment of the three. Its massive weapon variety has led to a thriving PvP scene, even a decade on from its original release. So it'll be a shame to see that go, even if it's for consoles that are about as old as the game itself.
Interested in playing more Dark Souls-inspired titles? You may want to check out our list of the best soulslike games to see what developers beyond FromSoftware are doing with the popular subgenre.
