Xbox One owners can play Dark Souls 3 today

March 24, 2016

Xbox One owners have discovered a way to download and play the English version of Dark Souls III before the release date, Eurogamer reports.

The game has already released in Japan, but is only set to release on 12 April 2016 in the West. Thanks to the investigative work from users on NeoGAF and reddit however, Xbox One owners can buy and download Dark Souls III today.

This method involves changing the region of your console to buy the game, and then changing it back so that you can play the English version of the game. Here is the step-by-step guide to downloading Dark Souls III before 12 April:

Make a new account based in Japan.
Purchase Xbox credit from the Microsoft Store in Yen.
Buy Dark Souls 3 using a Japanese address. Any Japanese address, so long as it’s real.
Now set your Xbox region to where you live.
Download the game and enjoy!

As long as users switch back to an English region before commencing the download, the console will install the English version instead of the Japanese.

It is advised that users be aware of any attempts by Microsoft or Bandai Namco attempting to halt this practice. The method above has been confirmed to work on both NeoGAF and reddit, although interference from either company may prevent its continued success.

Many Xbox One players have downloaded and are currently enjoying Bandai Namco’s Dark Souls weeks before the game is set to release in the West.