Dark Souls 3 won't be out in Europe and North America until April 12, but as of this morning, Japanese players are already well on their way to being maimed by the Lords of Cinder. You may be able to join them, if you don't mind a little bit of region fibbing. NeoGAF user bidguy posted a series of relatively easy steps to purchase Dark Souls 3 from the Japanese Xbox Store, and the best news is that it apparently includes an option for full English text.
A word of caution: any time you try to get around release dates and make foreign transactions you're entering potentially risky territory, even if they're through legitimate Microsoft channels. I haven't seen any reports of people running into trouble with this method if they follow the steps properly, but you should only try it if you're willing to accept those risks.
Back to business, then. You'll need a Japanese Xbox account to get started. You can either change your regular account's location, or make a dummy account if you're worried that Microsoft will not take kindly to your fictional globetrotting. Next, buy Xbox credit in yen via the Microsoft Store site (you may need to change your region on the site to find it), and then use that credit to buy the game. You'll need to enter a Japanese address since it's your first purchase in the region - here, I made a list of McDonald's in Osaka for you. Lastly, set your Xbox region back to your native location, and start downloading the game. Simple!
Or you could just skip the hassle and wait until April 12, if you don't mind missing out on those first few weeks of wondering what all the stats do and why won't this door open?
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As Sony's reported plans to acquire Dark Souls and Elden Ring developer's parent company get flagged as "unclear information" by Tokyo Stock Exchange, Kadokawa confirms "no decision has been made"
Elden Ring and Dark Souls parent company is reportedly in talks to be acquired by Sony, so surely that Bloodborne remake is a step closer now
