TL;DR: Greater than a decade after its authentic launch, Darkish Souls II is ready to obtain a major fan-made multiplayer replace. A modder is presently engaged on a brand new “seamless” co-op mode that might theoretically permit the sport to be performed from begin to end in a single, soul-crushing session.
A widely known FromSoftware modder named “Yui” is engaged on a brand new seamless co-op mode for Darkish Souls II. The mod is deliberate for launch on the Scholar of the First Sin version, which incorporates all beforehand launched DLC and several other enhancements to the bottom sport. In a current put up, Yui mentioned the venture is taking longer than anticipated, as Darkish Souls II has confirmed to be a difficult reverse-engineering effort.
Initially introduced in 2025, the mod is now approaching the steadiness required for an “alpha” testing part. Yui confirmed that it has turn into one in every of their most advanced and impressive tasks thus far, noting that Darkish Souls II is a really totally different beast in comparison with different FromSoftware Soulslike titles.
A seamless co-op mod is designed to let gamers cooperate and full a sport with out the standard restrictions of official multiplayer modes carried out by FromSoftware. In concept, as much as six gamers might progress by your entire sport in a single co-op session, persisting by demise and carrying world development with them.
The mod would require the Scholar of the First Sin version of Darkish Souls II, which is a 64-bit improve of the unique 32-bit base sport. Yui beforehand labored on a number of mods for different FromSoftware titles, together with Darkish Souls, Darkish Souls III, Sekiro, Elden Ring, and Elden Ring: Nightreign. These video games are constructed on a broadly comparable engine structure, making it comparatively simpler to know their methods after engaged on any one in every of them.
Against this, Darkish Souls II seems to make use of a separate department of FromSoftware’s proprietary engine. In consequence, Yui successfully needed to reverse engineer the sport from scratch, which explains why growth of the co-op mod has taken significantly longer than anticipated.
The mod is just not but full, however Yui launched a brief video to announce the upcoming venture and show that it’s technically possible. The developer plans to offer a check construct of the mod at no cost, whereas bug reporting and help shall be restricted to venture supporters by way of Patreon.
Darkish Souls II was launched in 2014, additional increasing the “Soulsborne” formulation launched in Demon’s Souls and Darkish Souls. The sport was a crucial and industrial success, and FromSoftware went on growing much more punishingly onerous action-RPG titles till Elden Ring: Nightreign got here to be. Elden Ring was so profitable that they’re now making a film out of the sport.
