Early in 2024, Bandai Namco and From Software announced that they would be shutting down the Dark Souls 2 servers for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The servers are set to go down at 5 a.m. PT, 8 a.m. ET, 1 p.m. GMT, and 2 p.m. CET on March 31, 2024. After the shutdown, offline play will remain accessible, but an alert stating that internet play is disabled will appear. It is noteworthy that the PC, PS4, and Xbox One servers remain unaffected by the closure; it solely impacts the PS3 and Xbox 360 servers.
The statement signifies the end of an era for the older console systems and expresses gratitude to all of the gamers who have been a part of the Dark Souls 2 community since its introduction.
In the meantime, there have been fresh rumours circulating that the Elden Ring expansion Shadow of the Erdtree would make its appearance in February 2024. From Software hasn't, however, formally announced a release date for the expansion. Yasuhiro Kitao, the producer of Elden Ring, stated in a recent update that while production is going well, fans shouldn't expect an immediate release.
The parent company of From Software Kadokawa gave comfort last month saying that the Elden Ring DLC's production is "proceeding smoothly," offering an insight into the continuous work being done in the background.
This server closure is in line with a larger industry trend as the gaming scene continues to change. For instance, Ubisoft recently announced that, as of January 2024, 10 of their "older games," including four Assassin's Creed titles, would no longer be available online.
The conclusion of Dark Souls 2's online stage for older systems begs consideration of how the game industry is always evolving, with publishers and developers concentrating on current-generation platforms while also adjusting to new technologies.
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