Dark Souls servers down: DS2 and DS3 offline

The Dark Souls servers have gone dark without warning: FromSoftware has temporarily shut down the game servers for Dark Souls II and Dark Souls III on all platforms. It cites a server issue, and there is no word yet on when online play will return.

The notice came on October 30 from FromSoftware's official support account, FROMSOFTWARE PLAYER SUPPORT. The Japanese post went up at 07:01 GMT, followed by the English version at 08:45 GMT. As of the morning of October 31, there has been no follow-up.

What we know so far

• Affected games: Dark Souls II and Dark Souls III
• Scope: all platforms
• Cause: an unspecified server issue
• Return date: unknown, to be announced by FromSoftware
• Not listed: Dark Souls Remastered and other FromSoftware games

What did FromSoftware say?

The English notice reads: "Due to a server issue, the game servers for the following titles will be temporarily unavailable on all platforms. We will provide updates once we have information regarding the server restoration time." The Japanese post is slightly more specific, saying the studio found a fault in the game servers and has stopped them on every platform as a result.

There is another detail worth noting. Two days earlier, on October 28, the same account ran emergency server maintenance for Dark Souls II between 05:00 and 07:00 GMT before bringing online services back. FromSoftware has not said whether that maintenance is connected to the latest shutdown.

What stops working while the servers are offline?

Both games still run offline, and your character and save file are untouched. What disappears is the online layer that makes these games feel haunted by other players. As Eurogamer points out, that means:

• Summoning other players and being summoned
• PvP invasions and covenant matchmaking
• Player messages left on the ground
• Bloodstains and phantoms of other players

So if you were counting on help for a tough boss, you will have to go solo or wait it out.

Remember the 2022 outage?

This has happened before. As Game*Spark and Inven Global recall, the PC servers for Dark Souls III, Dark Souls II and Dark Souls Remastered were taken offline in January 2022 after reports of a security issue. The road back was long: Dark Souls III's PC online features returned on August 25, 2022, Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin followed on October 25, 2022, and Dark Souls Remastered came back on November 9, 2022. Online services for the original Prepare to Die Edition on PC never returned, due to what the official account called an aging system.

There is one key difference this time. The 2022 shutdown hit PC only, while this one covers consoles too. FromSoftware has not said the current problem is security-related, so any claims about the cause should be treated as speculation until the studio says more.

It has been a rough week for FromSoftware, which also pushed The Duskbloods into 2027. For the studio's film plans, see our story on the Elden Ring movie.

Frequently asked questions

Why are the Dark Souls 2 and 3 servers down?

FromSoftware says it found an issue with the game servers. It has not said what the problem is.

When will the Dark Souls servers be back?

There is no date yet. FromSoftware says it will share an update once it knows when the servers will be restored. No update had been posted as of the morning of October 31.

Can you still play Dark Souls 2 and 3 while the servers are down?

Yes, the single-player game still works offline. Online features such as summoning, invasions and player messages are unavailable for now.

Sources

• FROMSOFTWARE PLAYER SUPPORT (X): English notice
• FROMSOFTWARE PLAYER SUPPORT (X): Japanese notice
• FROMSOFTWARE PLAYER SUPPORT (X): October 28 maintenance
• Eurogamer: Dark Souls 2 and 3 servers going dark
• Inven Global: FromSoftware takes servers offline
• Game*Spark: Dark Souls II and III servers