The original Dark Souls was first released in 2011. FromSoftware launched the game in Japan on September 22, 2011, followed by releases in North America and Europe in October. The staggered launch means some sources display different dates while still referring to the same worldwide release period.
Dark Souls followed Demon’s Souls and retained that game’s demanding action-RPG structure, including deliberate combat, dangerous exploration, and interconnected environments. It was published by Namco Bandai Games, now known as Bandai Namco Entertainment.
Players sometimes confuse the original game’s release year with the 2012 release of the Prepare to Die Edition for computers. That edition added the Artorias of the Abyss content, but it was not the first release of Dark Souls itself.
The game later received remastered versions, including Dark Souls: Remastered in 2018. Those later editions changed presentation and technical features, not the original release year.