Summary

  • Dark Souls 2 online servers for PS3 and Xbox 360 will permanently close on March 31, 2024.
  • Offline play will still be possible, and servers for PC, PS4, and Xbox One will not be affected.
  • Fans hope for potential private servers in the future.

The Dark Souls 2 online servers for PS3 and Xbox 360 will be permanently closing down on March 31, 2024. Players of the popular action RPG on these platforms now have just three months left to explore some of the most beautiful Soulsborne locations together.

Dark Souls 2 was released back in 2014 by FromSoftware as a follow-up to the highly popular Dark Souls. However, this new entry to the Souls series had split the fanbase, with some loving the game for reasons such as its amazing visual hub area, Majula, while others found the combat lacking with regard to enemy placement and map design. An updated version of the game called Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin was released almost a year later. This new version of the game not only bundled three DLCs but also brought with it several changes, including new storylines and improved combat and AI that fixed a number of issues that fans had with the original release.

On Twitter, the official Dark Souls account made the announcement that the PS3 and Xbox 360’s online servers for Dark Souls 2 would officially be shutting down on March 31, 2024 at 5:00 PDT. According to the Dark Souls 2 website, the reason for shutting down the servers now is because of “deterioration of the game’s servers.” As such, several elements that have become standard for Soulsborne games, such as bloodstains to show how other players died, co-oping through levels to take on a boss together, and invading to stop players from reaching their goal, will cease to function.

When Are the Dark Souls 2 Servers Shutting Down?

  • Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360
  • Dark Souls 2 Server Shutdown Date: March 31, 2024 at 5:00 PDT

While online services for the two platforms will cease, both the Dark Souls 2 Twitter account and website stressed that players will still be able to have adventures in the kingdom of Drangleic offline. Servers for other platforms on which the game is available, like PC, PS4, and Xbox One, will remain unaffected by these changes. The company ended the announcement by thanking fans who have played the game since its launch.

Fans of the game were saddened and surprised by the announcement on Twitter, with some wondering if the game would receive private servers as the original Demon Souls did. A remake of Demon Souls was released in 2020 for the PS5, so it is possible that Dark Souls 2 may get the same treatment eventually.

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Dark Souls 2 Tag Page Cover Art
9 /10

Dark Souls 2
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Action RPG
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Systems
PC-1 PlayStation-1 Xbox-1
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Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
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Released
March 11, 2014
ESRB
T for Teen: Blood and Gore, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Violence
Developer(s)
From Software
Engine
havok
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Franchise
Dark Souls
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
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Dark Souls 2, released in 2014, is the second title in From Software's iconic Dark Souls series. Players create their own character, an "undead" who will one day become a zombie-like Hollow if players cannot break the curse by defeating a powerful enemy.

Platform(s)
PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Xbox One
Genre(s)
Action RPG