Fan demand actually kept the game alive longer than was originally intended. The servers were supposed to shut down way back in 2010, but the shutdown was pushed back to 2012. After that, Sony Interactive Entertainment decided to keep them open even longer due to players’ persistent love for the game.
However, the time has come for the Demon’s Souls online chapter to close. The servers for this PS3 classic will be shutting down for good this Wednesday, February 28.
Players will still be able to play the game offline after Wednesday, but won’t be able to use any of the online features. Here’s a look at what will be removed from the game:
Online multiplayer (cooperative and intrusion) Tips filling out and viewing messages Blood trace of other players (replay on death) Wandering Illusion Ranking Browsing
The game’s “World Tendency” will also cease to function. This is an online system that influences the difficulty of each world and controls various in-game events. For example, the Old Monk boss-fight, where players were faced with both the boss and a human player summoned to aid them, relies on this system. After Wednesday, players will face the Old Monk alone.
The official Dark Souls Twitter page will likely send out a final notice soon, but this is the original tweet that announced the shutdown of the servers back in November.
Despite the Demon’s Souls age, the game is still a favorite among the hardcore gaming community and players are still setting new records. Just last year, a Twitch streamer by the name of miltymilt successfully completed the game without taking a single hit.
Die-hard Demon’s Souls fans still have a couple days to get in one last fix, but do not fear. The Souls series will continue as strong as ever, with Dark Souls Remastered expected to come to Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on May 25.
