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History of Dark Souls Timeline

(2009 - Present)

Dark Souls is a series of critically acclaimed action role-playing games developed by FromSoftware and directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki. Known for its challenging combat, cryptic storytelling, interconnected world design, and punishing difficulty, the franchise began in 2011 as a spiritual successor to Demon's Souls and grew into one of the most influential game series of all time, spawning the 'Soulslike' genre. Less

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Origins and Predecessors

Demon's Souls released for the PlayStation 3

2009

Released in 2009 for the PlayStation 3, Demon's Souls is considered the spiritual predecessor to the Dark Souls series, establishing many of the punishing gameplay mechanics and design philosophies that would define its successor.

Image source: Demon's Souls

Demon's Souls released for the PlayStation 3

Main Game Releases

Dark Souls released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360

2011

Created by Hidetaka Miyazaki, Dark Souls launched in 2011 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as the first game in the series. It is widely considered a spiritual successor to Demon's Souls (2009) and established the franchise's reputation for challenging gameplay.

Dark Souls II announced at Spike Video Game Awards

Oct 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012

The sequel Dark Souls II was first announced in late 2012 during the Spike Video Game Awards, generating significant excitement among fans of the notoriously difficult series.

Image source: Dark Souls II

Dark Souls II announced at Spike Video Game Awards

Dark Souls II released for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360

2014

The second entry in the series, Dark Souls II, was released in 2014 for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, continuing the franchise's tradition of demanding action role-playing gameplay.

Ashes of Ariandel expansion released

2016

Ashes of Ariandel, the first expansion for Dark Souls III, added new areas, bosses, and gameplay content to the game before being bundled into later complete editions of the title.

Image source: Dark Souls III

Ashes of Ariandel expansion released

Dark Souls III released

2016

Dark Souls III was released in 2016 for Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Created under Hidetaka Miyazaki's direction, it was described by him as likely the final entry in the series.

The Ringed City expansion released

2017

The Ringed City, the second expansion for Dark Souls III, served as the conclusion to the series' story and was later included alongside Ashes of Ariandel in The Fire Fades Edition released in 2017.

Image source: Dark Souls III: The Ringed City

The Ringed City expansion released

Original Dark Souls multiplayer servers taken offline

Jan 1, 2018 - Mar 31, 2018

After FromSoftware extended the server's lifecycle past the originally planned 2011 shutdown date, the multiplayer component of the original Dark Souls was finally taken offline in early 2018.

Re-releases and Enhanced Editions

Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition released

2012

In 2012, Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition was released for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, featuring the base game together with the Artorias of the Abyss downloadable content.

Image source: Dark Souls (video game)

Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition released

Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin released

2015

In 2015, an updated version featuring The Lost Crowns downloadable content was released under the title Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin for Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with retail releases for the latter two platforms.

Criticism of Scholar of the First Sin PC update pricing

2015

Despite being an enhanced edition, Scholar of the First Sin received some criticism, including complaints that the original and Scholar of the First Sin PC versions were not bundled together and that the paid PC upgrade was too expensive.

Dark Souls III: The Fire Fades Edition released

2017

In 2017, the complete version containing the base game and both expansions, Ashes of Ariandel and The Ringed City, was released under the title Dark Souls III: The Fire Fades Edition.

Dark Souls: Remastered released

May 2018

A version featuring graphical and gameplay enhancements, Dark Souls: Remastered, was released in May 2018, though it received mixed reviews and was criticized for a number of reasons.

Image source: Dark Souls (video game)

Dark Souls: Remastered released

Dark Souls Trilogy box set released in Japan

May 24, 2018

In Japan, a box set containing the enhanced versions of all three games for the PlayStation 4, along with soundtracks for each game, bookends, artwork prints, and dictionaries detailing every in-game item, was released on May 24, 2018.

Legacy

Miyazaki says Dark Souls III likely the last of the series

2015

In 2015, Hidetaka Miyazaki said that Dark Souls III would likely be the last of the series, with FromSoftware choosing to move onto new games of unrelated IPs in the future.

Spin-offs and Media

Dark Souls comic book debuts from Titan Comics

2016

A comic book by Titan Comics based on the Dark Souls series debuted alongside the release of Dark Souls III in 2016, expanding the franchise into printed media.

Slashy Souls mobile game released with GameStop

Feb 2016

In February 2016, Bandai Namco Entertainment partnered with American retailer GameStop to release Slashy Souls, a free-to-play mobile endless runner created to promote the upcoming release of Dark Souls III.

Image source: Slashy Souls

Slashy Souls mobile game released with GameStop

Dark Souls board game crowdfunding campaign funded

Apr 2016 - Apr 2017

A crowdfunding campaign for a Dark Souls board game was funded within the first three minutes of its launch, demonstrating the franchise's passionate fanbase, and the game itself was released in April 2017.

Live orchestra performs series music at Salle Pleyel

Feb 2017

In February 2017, music from the Dark Souls series composed by Motoi Sakuraba was performed by a live orchestra at the Salle Pleyel concert hall in Paris, celebrating the series' acclaimed soundtracks.

Sales and Legacy

Dark Souls III sells three million copies by May 2016

May 2016

Dark Souls III broke sales records upon release, selling over three million copies worldwide by May 2016, making it Bandai Namco's fastest-selling game until being surpassed by Elden Ring in 2022.

Dark Souls III surpasses 10 million copies sold

2020

By 2020, Dark Souls III had sold over 10 million copies, making it the fastest-selling game in Bandai Namco's history at the time, a record that would later be beaten by Elden Ring.

Elden Ring surpasses Dark Souls III sales record

2022

In 2022, FromSoftware's Elden Ring surpassed Dark Souls III to become Bandai Namco's fastest-selling game, breaking the record that Dark Souls III had held since its 2016 release.

Image source: Elden Ring

Elden Ring surpasses Dark Souls III sales record

Series ships 37.33 million copies outside Japan

2024

As of 2024, the Dark Souls series had shipped 37.33 million copies outside of Japan, underscoring its massive global popularity.

Series ships over 39 million copies worldwide

2025

The series had shipped over 39 million copies worldwide as of 2025, cementing its status as one of the most influential and successful action role-playing franchises ever made.

Key Facts

  1. The original Dark Souls was released in September 2011 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki as a spiritual successor to Demon's Souls (2009).
  2. Dark Souls II (2014) was the first sequel but had a different director, Tomohiro Shibuya, leading to notable changes in gameplay mechanics and level design compared to the original.
  3. Dark Souls III (2016) concluded the main trilogy and was followed by two major DLC expansions: Ashes of Ariandel (2016) and The Ringed City (2017), which served as the series finale.
  4. The remastered version of the original Dark Souls launched in May 2018 with improved graphics and framerate, bringing the game to Nintendo Switch for the first time.
  5. The Dark Souls series popularized the 'Soulslike' genre and influenced countless games, while FromSoftware later achieved massive success with Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Elden Ring.

Source

This History of Dark Souls timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

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