Yes, the Dark Souls 3 servers are back. FromSoftware restored the game servers and online features for Dark Souls 3 and Dark Souls 2 on all platforms on November 11, 2026, according to its official restoration notice, ending a suspension that began on October 30 over a security vulnerability in the game servers.
Summoning, invasions, messages and bloodstains work again on PlayStation, Xbox and PC. Below we cover what came back, the platforms, the shutdown, Dark Souls Remastered, and what to check if your game still will not connect.
What Came Back in Dark Souls 3
FromSoftware’s notice does not list features one by one. It says the investigation is complete, the fix has been applied, and “the game server and online features are now restored.” In Dark Souls 3, every online feature runs through that one game server, so they all return together:
- Messages written with the Orange Guidance Soapstone.
- Bloodstains that replay another player’s death.
- Phantoms, the faint shapes of other players in the same area.
- Co-op summoning through White Sign Soapstone signs.
- Invasions with the Red Sign Soapstone and the Cracked Red Eye Orb, plus the covenants that match players against each other.
Invasions matter beyond PvP: winning one as a red phantom earns a Pale Tongue, the item you trade for a stat reset, as our Dark Souls 3 respec guide explains.
Which Platforms Are Back
The notice says all platforms. For Dark Souls 3, FromSoftware’s news page tags it to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC (Steam). PS5 and Xbox Series X|S owners play those same versions through backward compatibility, so they connect to the same servers and are back as well. Dark Souls 3 has no crossplay, so you still meet only players on your own platform family.
Dark Souls 2 came back in the same notice, on the same platforms. On PC that covers the game’s server for both the original release and Scholar of the First Sin, which FromSoftware’s maintenance notices list as Windows DirectX 9 and DirectX 11. If you are heading back into Drangleic now that co-op is open, our guides to leveling up in Dark Souls 2 and using the torch cover the basics.
What About Dark Souls Remastered?
Dark Souls Remastered was not named in the suspension notice or the restoration notice. Both list only Dark Souls II and Dark Souls III. FromSoftware did post a separate maintenance notice for Remastered, a two-hour window on November 11 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM Japan time (midnight to 2:00 AM Eastern) on PS4, Xbox One, Windows and Switch. That notice calls it game server maintenance and gives no other reason. Our Dark Souls guides hub has every guide for the series, including routes to the Depths and Lower Undead Burg.
What the Shutdown Was and How Long It Lasted
On October 30, 2026, FromSoftware’s support account on X announced that “due to a server issue,” the Dark Souls II and Dark Souls III game servers would be “temporarily unavailable on all platforms.” On November 2, the Dark Souls site posted the full suspension notice: the servers had been suspended from Friday, October 30 “until further notice” because of “security vulnerabilities” found in the game servers. Offline play stayed available the whole time.
The servers came back on November 11, so the outage lasted 12 days. FromSoftware has not said what the vulnerability was or whether any player was affected, and we will not guess. The week before, each game had a routine two-hour maintenance (Dark Souls 3 on October 21, Dark Souls 2 on October 28), and FromSoftware’s notices do not connect either one to the suspension.
Longtime fans will remember 2022, when a security problem took the series’ PC servers down in January and Dark Souls 3’s PC servers did not return until August 25. This outage hit every platform but lasted less than two weeks.
How to Get Back Online in Dark Souls 3
If you switched to offline play during the outage, or see no online activity, run through these steps:
- Update the game. Install any update your console or Steam offers before you launch.
- Check the launch setting. In the System menu, open the Network settings and make sure the game is set to start in online mode. The setting applies when the game starts, so restart after you change it.
- Check your platform’s online access. On PlayStation and Xbox, multiplayer needs the paid online membership each console requires. On PC, make sure Steam itself is not in Offline Mode.
- Become embered to summon. Use an Ember to restore your embered form. You need it to summon phantoms into your world, and it also leaves you open to invasion.
How to tell you are connected: visit a busy early area such as the High Wall of Lothric. Online, you will see glowing messages on the ground, red bloodstains and faint phantoms passing by. If you see none of them, the game is running offline.
If You Still Cannot Connect
- Check for a new notice. FromSoftware posts server news in Japanese and English on the Dark Souls site and through its support account on X. If a new maintenance window is listed, wait it out.
- Check your network service. PlayStation Network, Xbox network and Steam each run their own status page. If they are down, the game cannot reach FromSoftware’s server either.
Coming back after years away? Our guide on how to jump in Dark Souls 3 covers the control returning players forget most.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Dark Souls 3 servers back up? Yes. FromSoftware restored the Dark Souls 3 game servers and online features on all platforms on November 11, 2026.
Why were the Dark Souls 3 servers down? FromSoftware suspended them because of security vulnerabilities found in the game servers. It has not shared further details.
How long were the Dark Souls 3 servers down? From October 30 to November 11, 2026, a total of 12 days.
Are the Dark Souls 2 servers back too? Yes. Dark Souls 2 was suspended and restored alongside Dark Souls 3, on all platforms, in the same notices.
Was Dark Souls Remastered affected? It was not named in the suspension or restoration notices. FromSoftware ran a separate two-hour server maintenance for Remastered on November 11.
Can you play Dark Souls 3 offline when the servers are down? Yes. FromSoftware’s notice said offline play was still possible throughout the suspension. Only online features stop working.
Does Dark Souls 3 have crossplay? No. PlayStation, Xbox and PC players each play on their own platform’s servers.