Dark Souls 4 Be Damned, Archthrones Is The Sequel We’ve Been Waiting For

While we wait for Dark Souls IV, ‘Archthrones’ is the unofficial sequel that we’ve been waiting for.

Developed by famed Japanese studio FromSoftware, which has brought us the likes of Elden Ring, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and Bloodborne, to name a few, some might say that the Dark Souls series is the best that the developer has to offer.

That being said, you could probably play any title by FromSoftware and it would be an absolute banger. At this point, the expectations of the studio are so high that anything considered to be a good game could be seen as somewhat of a disappointment (if that were to ever happen).

The last game from the Dark Souls series was in 2016, with its third numbered entry. But the fact that Dark Souls III was released nearly a decade ago is borderline criminal.

Sadly, there seems to be no indication that Dark Souls IV is on the way, especially with FromSoftware hard at work on the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, The Duskbloods, set to be released sometime in 2026.

Thankfully, however, the modding community has us covered with what can be considered to be Dark Souls IV of sorts. Well, at least until the official game graces us with its presence.

One such mod is called the aforementioned ‘Archthrones’, created by a talented team of indie developers, and best of all, it’s free to download right now. Happy days!

“‘Archthrones’ is a brand new story set before the events of Dark Souls III and a comprehensive total overhaul mod, complete with its own lore that is informed by the deepest secrets of the Dark Souls mythos,” reads its description. “New enemies, bosses, armour, weapons and spells are only the beginning.”

“The design of the game has been inspired by Demon's Souls' level structure. With the richness of NPC questlines and the depth of our own level design, the player will find engaging complexity within the varied worlds.

“Relive some of the most memorable areas of the entire trilogy within one mod, with reinterpretations of iconic characters and some interpretations you've only seen in item descriptions.”

If you’re concerned that the mod won't allow you to play Dark Souls III with friends, then fear not, because its private server will allow you to do just that. It should also be stated that you will need both pieces of DLC to play this mod, namely, ‘Ashes of Ariandel’ and ‘The Ringed City’.

Sadly, as is the case with most mods, ‘Archthrones’ is a PC exclusive. For the rest of us, we’ll have to make do with playing Dark Souls III as intended on PlayStation and Xbox.