FromSoftware Inc.’s Dark Souls 2, released in 2014, will have its online servers shut down in three months. The title will have been out for a decade since its release next year, and it only makes sense for the servers to shut down on the consoles where the game was first released.
A sequel to 2011’s FromSoftware Inc.’s blockbuster Dark Souls, the game received acclaim among fans and critics. The franchise’s first title had the online service shut down back in February last year. With support ending for old consoles every year, it should be no surprise for titles to go offline in the coming years.
Dark Souls 2 Is Going Offline for These Two Consoles
According to the official Dark Souls website, the online services for the 2014 sequel are being terminated due to “deterioration of the game servers.” The game will go offline on the 31st of March next year for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, both of which are almost relics by now.
The website also lists the elements affected as a result of the game going offline, as co-op gaming will no longer be possible once the game goes offline. The primary elements include shades, bloodstains that show how other players died in the game, messages, and invasions that stopped players from reaching their goal and dueling.
The game will still be playable offline for players on the two consoles. The website also clarifies that the game’s online services will continue for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PCs running DirectX 9 and 11. Over on X, where the official Dark Souls account also posted the message, fans bid the game’s online services their goodbyes.
Among the many replies, one fan even mentioned completing the platinum achievement on a PlayStation 3 a few months ago for the game. Others reminisced about their time playing the game on the two old consoles.
Scholar of the First Sin Will Retain Online Services
A remastered version of the sequel, Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin, was released back in 2015 with upgraded graphics and also included an online multiplayer option. Fans of the original sequel can pick up the remastered version and have a go after the online services end for Dark Souls 2, but it would not be the same.
The remastered version has almost twice as many NPC invaders and enemies for players to deal with. The remastered version will be playable on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, as well as on modern PlayStation and Xbox consoles and PCs. An alternate way of continuing to play the original sequel would be to switch to the PC version since the Steam edition will continue to support online services.
On the same day in March next year, FromSoftware Inc. is shutting down the servers for Armored Core: Verdict Day as well. Just as with Dark Souls 2, the game will remain playable offline beyond the end of March next year. There is no PC version of Armored Core: Verdict Day, however, so once the lights go out for the title’s online services, there will be no co-op possible.
Armored Core: Verdict Day was also released for the same two consoles, PS3 and Xbox 360, a year before Dark Souls 2 and was considered “generally favorable” as per the ratings on Metacritic. The game had mixed reviews from gamers and critics, and unlike Dark Souls 2, there are no remastered versions for modern consoles.
Several titles that were originally released for two of the oldest consoles will continue to go offline one by one in the coming years, inevitably. It’s still possible some of these titles will continue to retain online co-op playability on other platforms, like PCs or newer consoles.
For now, Dark Souls 2 gamers still have three full months to continue playing the game online with others on the two old consoles before co-op gets killed for good.
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