Several Dark Souls games are currently unplayable online on PC. Publisher Bandai Namco has taken the servers offline because of an exploit that became known last weekend. This exploit apparently allows attackers to distribute malicious code via the online mode of the “Dark Souls” games. In this way, they could smuggle in Trojans, steal login data and take control of the computer.
Users report on the exploit Reddit and up Twitter. Accordingly, the upcoming game “Elden Ring”, which is being developed by the same studio and may be based on the same online architecture, could also be affected by the error. Bandai Namco has not yet confirmed the existence or severity of the exploit. However, the fact that the servers for the supposedly affected games were shut down suggests that the developer takes the reports seriously.
“The PvP servers for Dark Souls 3, Dark Souls 2 and Dark Souls: Remastered have been temporarily disabled to allow the team to investigate recent reports of an issue with the online service,” Bandai Namco wrote on Twitter . The publisher of the games developed by From Software does not give a time frame.
Attack on Twitch streamers
According to community reports, the exploits have not yet been exploited with malicious intent. The Tech Magazine The Verge reports but of an attack on a Twitch streamer on camera. According to one Discord post the attacker wanted to draw attention to the exploit after the developers had ignored relevant information. Bandai Namco has not commented on these allegations.
The Dark Souls games are primarily single-player experiences and will therefore remain safely playable while the servers are down. What is currently not possible are duels with other players: In the “Dark Souls” games, you can usually dial into the game worlds of other users for a short showdown. Only the servers of the PC versions are currently affected, the servers for Playstation and Xbox continue to run unaffected.
Even years after their release, the “Dark Souls” titles, which are considered particularly challenging, are still actively played by die-hard communities. However, the exploit is likely to be particularly critical with regard to the upcoming “Elden Ring”, which will be launched at the end of February and is one of the most important titles of the year.
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