Support NeoGAF

[Draugoth]

In January, Bandai Namco disabled PvP servers for the PC editions of Dark Souls games after discovering a serious security vulnerability in Dark Souls 3. Bandai said the suspension of the service was temporary, but later updated the suspension in february to say online services for Dark Souls PC games would not be restored until sometime after Elden Ring was released.

Six weeks after the release of Elden Ring, however, there's still no sign of multiplayer returning to Souls games - and indeed, it looks like Dark Souls' multiplayer could take a lot longer than expected, possibly even permanently. As first reported by The Outerhaven, all references to online play in Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition, Dark Souls: Remastered, Dark Souls 2 and Dark Souls 3 have been removed. They are now marked as singleplayer games only.

The tags are gone, leaving only a few inconsistencies from other online features:

It's possible that publisher Bandai Namco removed the tags to avoid confusion or accusations of false advertising on the Steam page, but if that's the case, it suggests that the security issues that surfaced earlier this year, whatever they may be, are much more serious and difficult to resolve than anticipated.

 

[Fermbiz]

Did they try finger, but hole?

 

[Krappadizzle]

Huge disappointment. I played through Dark Souls 3 before Elden Ring's release and missed the coopvp being gone, along with the messages. That said, there are ways to get mp working, but it's not official and not ideal.

Really wish FS would just get off their asses and put some work into the underlying issues and spread that fix across all their games.

 

[RoadHazard]

Huge disappointment. I played through Dark Souls 3 before Elden Ring's release and missed the coopvp being gone, along with the messages. That said, there are ways to get mp working, but it's not official and not ideal.

Really wish FS would just get off their asses and put some work into the underlying issues and spread that fix across all their games.

They never fix technical issues in their games after release. Proof: Every console game they have ever released.

 

[Cert.in.Death]

Try jumping

 

[TintoConCasera]

Never cared about mp in those games, but still... Shit practice. They should compensate their customers in some way, instead of just hiding the head and not giving any info aside from removing the mp tag without any explanation.

 

[The_Mike]

Was this a function anyone used?

 

[Fermbiz]

I personally never cared for the PVP of the Souls games, but I do love reading the messages, seeing how other players died and seeing other players run around the same game I'm playing. This really sucks, definitely makes the game soulless

 

[Fbh]

Damn, I hope it's temporary.
The games are still enjoyable without the MP but they loose a big part of their identity. If they can't get regular PVP/PVE to work safely they should at least keep the messages around

Was this a function anyone used?

Multiplayer is a significant portion of the game. It's not just PVP, it's being able to summon other players, help other players, coordinate to play with friends, the messages which are a core part of the balance and world design, there's also covenants that you can only progress in through multiplayer and which reward you with unique gear (like the coolest armor in DS2)

 

[The_Mike]

Damn, I hope it's temporary.
The games are still enjoyable without the MP but they loose a big part of their identity. If they can't get regular PVP/PVE to work safely they should at least keep the messages around




Multiplayer is a significant portion of the game. It's not just PVP, it's being able to summon other players, help other player, coordinate to play with friends, the messages which are a core part of the balance and world design, there's also covenants that you can only progress in through multiplayer and which reward you with unique gear (like the coolest armor in DS2)

Honestly I only thought pvp was for ruining other people's game.

Seems really stupid to remove content like this, especially in a game only 4 years old and probably uses p2p anyway.

 

[Fbh]

Honestly I only thought pvp was for ruining other people's game.

Seems really stupid to remove content like this, especially in a game only 4 years old and probably uses p2p anyway.

If it's just PVP it's a smaller blow though the whole invasion part is still a traditional portion of the game and there's also covenants tied to PVP.
But the article seems to indicate they might remove the entire multiplayer function.

 

[ParaSeoul]

One of the big issues with PC gaming.

 

[tusharngf]

i still play dark souls every year ...this is BS

 

[Sentenza]

One of the big issues with PC gaming.

Is this a joke?

Damn, I hope it's temporary.

It probably is. They just re-posted the warning about temporarily disable multiplayer features, which is not something I'd expect if they intend to make it permanent (they'd just be silent about it).
Also, the report in the OP is inaccurate: as people already pointed on reddit, the multiplayer tags haven't been removed just recently, but weeks ago shortly after the features were disabled.

 

[ParaSeoul]

Is this a joke?

If it is whats so funny about it?

 

[Sentenza]

If it is whats so funny about it?

The fact that plenty of PC games remain playable online for decades even after the companies who made them go out of business.

While conversely Sony -just to name one- is notorious for shutting down multiplayer servers of games that are barely a couple of years old, despise making people pay a subscription for the privilege of multiplayer.

Leveraging this isolated case to claim that "this is one of the big issues of PC gaming" (when it's usually the other way around) feels like some of you live in a motherfucking Smurfville detached from this plane of reality or some sort of Bizarro dimension.

 

[Graciaus]

They also just announced Elden Ring was coming out soon yesterday. I don't think From knows what they are doing.

 

[kraspkibble]

Was this a function anyone used?

uh...yeah lol. these games wont be the same without multiplayer or any online functionality.

 

[rofif]

Is this a joke?


It probably is. They just re-posted the warning about temporarily disable multiplayer features, which is not something I'd expect if they intend to make it permanent (they'd just be silent about it).
Also, the report in the OP is inaccurate: as people already pointed on reddit, the multiplayer tags haven't been removed just recently, but weeks ago shortly after the features were disabled.

how is cheating and hacking a joke with pc gaming?
It is exactly why servers are up on consoles for these games and not on pc.
THIS IS A FACT.

Anyway - They ill fix it but probably not soon. What a shame

 

[Braag]

RIP covenants if you are replaying.

 

[The Cockatrice]

Console gaming wins again.

 

[Sentenza]

how is cheating and hacking a joke with pc gaming?

This has exactly fucking zero to do with anything I said.

Are you guys trying to act as tards to get some sort of tax cut?

 

[Wastelander92]

Fuck hackers.

 

[rofif]

This has exactly fucking zero to do with anything I said.

Are you guys trying to act as tards to get some sort of tax cut?

Nobody understands what you said.
Pc being an open platform is open to more opportunities but also hacks. Good with the bad

edit: I have no idea what your point is. You just sound like pc apologist with pcmr attitude "pc can do no wrong"

 

[Sentenza]

Nobody understand what you said.

Because reading comprehension can be fucking hard for the mentally challenged and other types of differently-able, I guess.

I wasn't really being cryptic about it, but let's try again: the claim that "multiplayer shutting down is a common problem on PC" is fucking delusional, because usually it's the exact other way around.
Games remain playable online for years on PC (sometimes even just thanks to community support even after a company goes out of business), while countless console games often have their online servers shutting down in a very short time span on consoles.

 

[rofif]

Because reading comprehension can be fucking hard for the mentally challenged and other types of differently-able, I guess.

I wasn't really being cryptic about it, but let's try again: the claim that "multiplayer shutting down is a common problem on PC" is fucking delusional, because usually it's the exact other way around.
Games remain playable online for years on PC (sometimes even just thanks to community support even after a company goes out of business), while countless console games often have their online servers shutting down in a very short time span on consoles.

You make no fucking sense and are just offending everyone. "Blah blah everyone so stupid! They can't read! Only I am smart". Just shut up already. Pc gaming doesn't need your defending.
It's not about pc gaming. It's about Dark Souls servers being dead on pc.
What good is your statement if Dark Souls Servers on pc are IN FACT dead and not even replaced by modded servers.
Multiplayer games die on all platforms.

 

[Sentenza]

On a side note:
hey people, take a shot every freaking time rofif takes his chance to imply or straight up tell you that he has a big beefy PC with a powerful 3080, but for some reason he never really plays any games on it because he prefers the comfort of the console experience.
Enjoy your cirrhosis.

Super-convincing, too.

It's not about pc gaming. It's about Dark Souls servers being dead on pc.

Bullshit. The post I answered too (and you decided to defend) was PRECISELY a broad generalization about PC gaming.

What good is your statement if Dark Souls Servers on pc are IN FACT dead and not even replaced by modded servers.
Multiplayer games die on all platforms.

Nothing about the current Dark Souls situation has been confirmed as definitive and in fact there are reasons to think it's the opposite, contrarily to what the OP is suggesting.

 

[Tomeru]

Fucking shame. ER made me want to return to ds3 multi...

 

[MiguelItUp]

I'm sure it's temporary. No one realizes how much of a clusterfuck it is outside of the dev teams. So it'd make sense to remove the tags until it's fixed and reimplemented. They've done routine maintenance for awhile, so it's not like it's all been neglected. I'd imagine if it's indeed something they CAN'T fix, they'd address it. They know they have fans that regularly play PVP across the series.

I highly doubt this is something they expected and were blindsided by it, all while putting on the bow for their latest game. It's a shame, really poor timing.

Fuck hackers, really.

 

[LazyParrot]

hey people, take a shot every freaking time rofif takes his chance to imply or straight up tell you that he has a big beefy PC with a powerful 3080, but for some reason he never really plays any games on it because he prefers the comfort of the console experience.

LOL glad someone else has caught on. He's not the only one here doing this, either. People showing up in PC threads just to shit on PC gaming and then going, "No no no, I'm not platform warring. I can't be. I own a gaming PC, you see. It's real expensive, too. I just don't use it. Ever."

Anyway, PC gaming isn't the problem here. FROM Software's lack of willingness or ability to fix their own mistakes is.

 

[Patrick S.]

They never fix technical issues in their games after release. Proof: Every console game they have ever released.

Yeah that's a big issue. So many half-assed ports by Japanese devs :/ Look at Chrono Trigger, for example: it had issues that were only patched recently after the game didn't receive any fixes for years, probably because they wanted to build up some goodwill for the Chrono Cross remaster that was about to come out. Which is, once again, a shit remaster, to the surprise of no one.

 

[March Climber]

Anyway, PC gaming isn't the problem here. FROM Software's lack of willingness or ability to fix their own mistakes is.

I think both you and rofif are right. From Software is at blame and so are hackers on PC. The effect can't exist without the cause.

 

[Codes 208]

Meh i can live without it. I kept getting invaded by hackers/modders in ds3.

Elden Ring’s multiplayer has been a blast however (even though its too easy to set yourself up against a broken build)

 

[Sentenza]

LOL glad someone else has caught on. He's not the only one here doing this, either. People showing up in PC threads just to shit on PC gaming and then going, "No no no, I'm not platform warring. I can't be. I own a gaming PC, you see. It's real expensive, too. I just don't use it. Ever."

Nah, of course he's not.
Without even looking too far his pal Hezekiah, right there spamming emotes all over this very same thread, is another professional bullshitter who plays this game every now and then.

Still, it never stops being funny because it's really transparent.

 

[Captain Toad]

Was this a function anyone used?

Is this a serious question?

 

[elliot5]

I want to get these on PC and even if invading is offline i want online strictly for the messages, at least. Messages enhance it all

 

[hlm666]

If they don't plan on putting the servers backup at the very least they could reduce some of the item requirements/amounts for the pvp focused factions you have to hand in, sunlight covenant rewards in ds3 will be impossible outside of doing like ng+50 on a single save.

 

[Bullet Club]

While Elden Ring thrives, the PC Souls games have been offline for 103 days

Publisher Bandai Namco hasn't said anything publicly since early February.

www.pcgamer.com

 

[rofif]

Yeah wtf is even happening.
I want to return to playing the good souls. I am fed up with Elden Ring to be honest

 

[Drizzlehell]

They can disable the servers but THE LEGEND NEVER DIES.

 

[nkarafo]

It's inevitable when online multiplayer relies on third party servers you can't control. Sooner or later every online multiplayer portion of every current game will vanish and unless someone makes an emulated private server for each, they won't be able to be experienced again.

Local multiplayer matches of old will never die though.