Bloodborne announced a surprise server maintenance that coincides with PlayStation’s 30th anniversary, and it’s fair to say fans are struggling to cope with what it all means.
FromSoftware’s much-loved action game launched on PS4 in 2015 and has never received an official next-gen update for PS5, or even a hint at a PS5 remake or PC release. Fans desperate for an announcement from Sony have so far fed on scraps from director Hidetaka Miyazaki, who is asked about the prospect of more Bloodborne pretty much every time he’s interviewed by press.
Indeed, in February, ahead of the launch of FromSoftware’s Elden Ring expansion Shadow of the Erdtree, Miyazaki said that because the developer doesn’t own the Bloodborne IP he couldn’t speak about its future. He did, however, admit Bloodborne would benefit from releasing on more modern hardware.
Even the release of the PS5 Pro brought little cheer to Bloodborne fans, who have reported that Sony’s $700 mid-gen console upgrade barely improves the game at all.
Now, fans have the surprise in-game server maintenance notice, which just so happens to coincide with PlayStation’s 30th birthday on December 3. Why would Bloodborne undergo server maintenance now, nearly a decade after its launch? And why would it fall on PlayStation’s 30th birthday, which Sony is already celebrating with a number of initiatives?
Fans are debating this now, but amid the frenzy of speculation there are messages of caution. “Friendly reminder that they’ve periodically done server maintenance before and that’s exactly what it’s always been: server maintenance,” warned redditor amygdalapls. “Not a new patch, not an update, not anything along those lines.
“I do wish it was more but alas. Brace for disappointment!”
Indeed, Bloodborne server maintenance seems designed to coincide with potentially big announcement events, just to mess with fans. In 2022, Bloodborne underwent server maintenance on the same day as that year’s The Game Awards, sparking a similar cacophony of speculation and excitement we’re seeing today. Then… nothing.
What does add a dash of spice to the debate this time around is Sony’s confirmed attempt to buy FromSoftware parent company Kadokawa as part of a deal that could be confirmed imminently. That acquisition, should it go through, sparks all sorts of questions of its own, including whether Sony would seek to make FromSoftware’s future games PlayStation exclusive.
For now, though, it seems more Bloodborne disappointment is on the cards, and the wait for that elusive 60 frames per second next-gen upgrade will continue — perhaps forever.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
