Patch notes forDark Souls 3’s upcoming The Ringed City DLC launch have been made available on the official Japanese website. That patch, which has been translated within theDark Souls 3community, is tentatively planned for release on March 24. That’s four days prior to theofficial launch of The Ringed City DLC.
Note that while the patch is coming to all supported platforms, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, it’ll also includePvP arenas exclusive to Ashes of Ariandeland Season Pass purchasers.
Since The Ringed City DLC won’t launch until after the patch is released, players can rest easy regarding any feared spoilers in the notes. This patch deals solely with current in-game content, beyond the new PvP arenas. There is some speculation that The Ringed City DLC could be pre-loaded along with the patch, however.
The bulk of the changes in the patch deal with balance issues, as thepatch places a lot of focus onDark Souls 3PvP. For the most part, From Software handed out a wide variety of buffs rather than any harsh nerfs. Ultra weapons, daggers, and curved greatswords in particular seem much stronger. Some specific items did see nerfs, for instance the Carthus Curved Sword, Dark Sword, and Follower Sabre.
For the most part, exactly how the changes effect combat will require players to experience them on their own. Heavy armor, infusions, and many weapon animations were altered significantly and will require experimentation to see what’s strong.
The value of this pre-DLC patch can’t be understated. The Ringed City,Dark Souls 3’s final DLC, will be bringing back a significant amount of players who had otherwise not been playing the game. But it’s this patch, and thePvP additions toDark Souls 3, that will hopefully breathe life into the game well beyond the single-player offerings of The Ringed City. Making the patch available prior to the DLC, so all players will experience throughout their Ringed City experience, is outstanding planning on the developer’s part.
Now the question becomes, “Is this it forDark Souls?” With The Ringed City being the game, and the franchise’s, final DLC release, what can players look forward to next? While there’s always the possibility of another balance and bug-fix patch down the road, there’s a likelihood that this is it. With The Ringed City’s launch, all focus will likely shift to other projects. Suffice it to say, hopefully the patch delivers on everyone’s expectations.
Dark Souls 3is currently available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The RPG’s first major DLC release, Ashes of Ariandel, was released on October 25 in 2016.The Ringed City, the second and final DLC forDark Souls 3, launches on March 28.
