Dark Souls 3 overhaul mod inspired by Demon Souls gets demo release date

After almost four years in development, Dark Souls 3 mod Archthrones is set to release a demo on March 15th. If you were unaware of said mod, it's a Patron-funded expansion that puts Dark Souls 3 on an alternate storyline in a way akin to Demon Souls, with a hub area home to five gateways that'll transport you to five worlds. If there was ever a reason to return to Dark Souls 3, this is probably it.

The demo release date was posted on the mod's Patreon and YouTube channels, which shows five thrones in an overgrown hub that's very similar to Demon Souls' Nexus. You've then got cuts to some action, including a fight against a speedy warrior in what looks like a shadowy take on Lothric Castle, followed by a nice jog through a desert, a snowy map reminiscent of Frozen Eleum Loyce from Dark Souls 2's Crown Of The Ivory King DLC, and an autumnal spot that looks just as deadly as Elden Ring's Altus Plateau.

Official Pre-Release Demo Trailer - Dark Souls: Archthrones

Watch on YouTube

Over the months the team's shared other trailers worth having a glance at, too. The mod's clearly built with Steam Deck in mind, going by one video that shows off some exploration at the High Lord's Temple, which it turns out is at least a little section of the gorgeous sandy spot shown briefly in the release date trailer. Perhaps the most substantial of the lot is a 15-minute gameplay showcase, featuring plenty of early game action (and spoilers) from what looks to be shadowy Lothric.

What I'm most impressed by - all of it impresses me, really - is how they've named things. Sometimes mods might nail the aesthetics but struggle to convey enemies and spaces with words - but not Archthrones. They've kept things close to the source material, which is to say simple and candid: Disgraced Knight, Demon Vanguard, Skeleton That Holds A Spiked Wheel And Spins Into You (the last one may not feature).

While there's no mention of it in the trailer, the devs have said that the mod will be "100% free", but you will need to own Dark Souls 3 and all of its DLCs in order for it to work.