Is Dark Souls 3 Online Safe to Play in 2023? Yes – Here‘s Why
As of August 2022, publisher Bandai Namco has officially restored online services for Dark Souls 3 on PC, re-enabling multiplayer, covenants and undead PvP after months of downtime. FromSoftware implemented security updates during this hiatus to protect against further exploits. So players wondering “is Dark Souls 3 safe again?” can rest assured that the game’s revived servers appear secure and ready for some jolly cooperation once more!
Revisiting the Dark Souls 3 Server Shutdown
Veterans will recall how the discovery of a remote code execution (RCE) bug prompted Bandai Namco to temporarily take all Dark Souls games offline on January 23, 2022. This exploit enabled remote attackers to run arbitrary malicious code on players‘ devices through the multiplayer clients. Bandai Namco denied outright bans but confirmed they were "investigating a security issue.”
This ominous uncertainty left fans like myself frustrated and concerned over if or when we’d be able to safely play online again. After all, the unique social experience offered by From’s challenging PvE and cutthroat PvP is a huge draw for these iconic games.
Tracking the Return of Dark Souls Online
Periodic patches and progress reports hinted at intense behind-the-scenes security hardening. Bandai Namco eventually restored Dark Souls 3 servers first on August 25, 2022. This followed several stability updates and the eventual return of PvP Watchdog anti-cheat in late July.
As of February 2023, online services for other Souls games remain offline as the investigation continues into 2023 for the rest of the franchise. However FromSoftware’s focused remediation efforts specifically for Dark Souls 3 provide good reason to be optimistic about its current security posture for those wondering “is DS3 safe now?”
By the Numbers: Dark Souls 3’s Enduring Multiplayer Appeal
Reviewing Steam charts underscores how vital restoring DS3 servers was for maintaining an engaged player base even 6+ years post-launch:
| Date | Concurrent DS3 Players | Peak Last 30 Days | All-Time Peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 2023 | 5,700 | 11,035 | 129,975 |
Having breached 129k simultaneous users at its 2016 height, Dark Souls 3 still easily trounces its predecessors and many newer releases with multi-thousand consistent players.
Compare to Elden Ring’s 950k peak – this proves DS3’s multiplayer clearly offers deep replayability that can sustain more modest but still impressive figures today.
Bringing back servers was crucial for tens of thousands of covenant disciples like me still craving co-op and invasions years later!
Contrasting DS3 and Elden Ring Multiplayer Experiences
As FromSoftware’s newest blockbuster, Elden Ring demands comparison to Dark Souls 3 as the pinnacle of refined Souls multiplayer:
| Game | Online Players | Peak Players | PvP Focus | Multiplayer Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Souls 3 | 5,700 | 129,975 | Dedicated arena, covenants and invasions | In-depth covenants, dedicated PvP arena, refined combat/backstabs, solo invasions |
| Elden Ring | 400,000 | 952,395 | Limited and opt-in | Seamless open world co-op, chaotic invasions, spirit summoning |
Having sunk hundreds of hours into both, I’ve found Elden Ring trades away some of DS3’s tight dueling and invasion dynamics for wider build variety and flashy spirit summons.
Many fans argue Dark Souls 3 perfected From’s formula for balancing cooperative and hostile multiplayer. The sheer longevity of its online community seems to support this!
Security Reinforcements – What Changed Since January 2022?
So with Dark Souls 3’s servers back up, what exactly has FromSoftware done to shore up security? While full technical details remain scarce, we can reasonably assume security best practices were applied across the board:
Increased Auditing – Rigorous code reviews to catch issues proactively
Added Intrusion Prevention – Expanded monitoring to block and alert on threats
Improved Input Filtering – Sanitizing data from clients
Account Lockout Policies – Block repeated malicious login attempts
DDoS Hardening – Withstanding increased denial of service attacks
Bandai Namco’s heavy investments into resuming Dark Souls online signals they take threats seriously. We fans certainly appreciate these infrastructure upgrades – who wants to worry about cyber risks while engaging epic boss battles or PvP brawls?
Safely Returning to Lordran and Beyond
I hope this guide has reassured Dark Souls devotees that our beloved online play has emerged safer than ever before on the other side of this rocky downtime. Of course, basic online precautions still apply:
Stay Vigilant – Watch for shady behaviors, cheat engine users etc
Don’t Download Sketchy Mods – Avoid community mods or tools promising advantages
Use Strong Passwords – Prevent account takeovers from leaked credentials
Keep Game/System Software Patched – Allow security updates to address emerging risks
Play Offline If Making Progress – Back up saves in case the unexpected occurs
By keeping our guard up and letting Bandai Namco handle countermeasures behind the scenes, we Undead can confidently seek our next co-op buddy or dreaded invader without nagging security worries hampering our fun.
So in summary: Is Dark Souls 3 online safe to play again today? Absolutely – see you by the High Wall of Lothric!
