Best SoulsBorne Games For PvP, Ranked

FromSoftware’s Soulsborne series is renowned for its deep lore, tough boss fights, and passionate player base. While not linked by story or setting, the Soulsborne series is connected by common mechanics and gameplay. From challenging boss battles, public messages, bloodstains showing how a player died, or specific items for co-op play, Soulsborne has fully spawned a genre unto itself (Soulslikes). The community around these games has only grown with each release, with eager fans ready to test their skills against the game and other players.

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PvP has long been an integral part of the Soulsborne games. From in-game invasions in Dark Souls to the combat arenas in Elden Ring, FromSoftware’s games never feel fully like single-player experiences. While the PvP in the older titles has certainly fallen off over the years, new releases ensure the community has stayed fresh and eager for more.

6 Dark Souls

An Aging Game Means Less Active Players

After the cult success of Demon's Souls, Fromsoftware released the groundbreaking Dark Souls. This challenging dark fantasy RPG defined the Soulslike genre and kick-started one of the most critically acclaimed video game franchises in history. Many of the mechanics found in Dark Souls are taken directly from its predecessor but refined and improved in every way.

Dark Souls brought an even bigger emphasis on PvP, with various ways players can interact. In the game, players can join a covenant. Each covenant is unique and offers different rewards and multiplayer options. While some covenants emphasize co-op, others are more about PvP, such as the Blade of the Dark Moon or Forest Hunter covenants. Joining these factions will allow the player to be invaded, partake in invasions, or be summoned to help another player. While Dark Souls defined PvP for the series, the technology would not allow smooth gameplay. Lagging was common while in combat, with internet connectivity being inferior by modern standards. As the game grew older, the community around PvP diminished.

5 Bloodborne

Simple Mechanics That Aren’t Suited For PvP

For many, Bloodborne is the definitive Soulsborne game, with its fast gameplay, dark atmosphere, and immersive lore. It blends the challenge of Dark Souls with the cosmic horror of HP Lovecraft. While it has certain connections with Dark Souls in terms of gameplay and mechanics, it is very much its own beast.

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PvP works in much the same way as the other Soulsborne games, with the player able to join several covenants that offer different rewards and multiplayer options. Players can also purchase the Sinister Resonant Bell from the Insight Messengers in the Hunter’s Dream. With this bell, players can attempt to invade another player. However, it is possible to be invaded at this time or be summoned to help with an invasion. While PvP is a fun experience in Bloodborne, its mechanics are simplistic. The style of gameplay is not as compatible with PvP in the same way Dark Souls is. In addition, it is a much more optional mechanic, whereas in Dark Souls, PvP is a more integral part of the game.

4 Demon's Souls Remake

Small Player Base Makes PvP Less Likely

The seminal Demon's Souls introduced the gaming public to Hidetaka Miyazaki’s vision of challenging video games. This groundbreaking release blended a dark fantasy aesthetic with relentless gameplay, creating a cult classic that would set the standard for the series to come.

In 2020, Demon's Souls received a full remake from the ground up, allowing a whole new generation to discover where the Souls series started. The remake brought modern graphics, smoother gameplay, and a return to PvP. While the community in the game has never grown to the same level as Dark Souls or Elden Ring, Demon's Souls Remake continues to offer the same fun gameplay as previous titles. However, finding matches in the game can be tough due to the smaller player base and disconnected regions, which offer fewer areas where players gather.

3 Dark Souls 2

The Least Popular Game In the Series Has Superior PvP

While Dark Souls 2 is often considered the worst game in the series, it still retains a die-hard fan base of devoted gamers. Dark Souls 2 was the first game in the series not directly controlled by Soulsborne visionary Hidetaka Miyazaki. However, while there are many flaws in the game, Dark Souls 2 continued to push the series forward, introducing several mechanics that would continue in the series.

Dark Souls 2 may be the least popular entry in the series, but for many, the PvP is the best. While the game suffers from many issues the first entry had, especially if a player’s internet is less-than-stable, the PvP is well-balanced. Different build types are more viable, creating more variety for players. A high stamina cost for rolling made spam rolling dangerous, and backstabbing was improved overall. Unfortunately, finding a match for PvP is extremely hard due to the game’s lower popularity. While new players are discovering Dark Souls 2, PvP around the game has fallen significantly.

2 Dark Souls 3

Improvements From Previous Entries Created A Dedicated Community

The last entry in the Dark Souls series took the franchise to new heights. The popularity of the game brought a whole new audience to the series, who fell in love with the high level of challenge, deep lore, and expert world-building. Along with its two DLC releases, Dark Souls 3 built on the previous games and became the perfect send-off for one of gaming's standout franchises.

Improvements in technology and internet access made the PvP in Dark Souls 3 a lot better. Fighting other players had never been so smooth. While some of the balance from Dark Souls 2 was lost, as the movement became faster and certain weapons became the meta, DS3 was the highest quality PvP the series had yet seen. Series staples — such as covenants, invasions, and summoning — all returned, and favorite fight club spots emerged, most notably outside Pontiff Sullivan’s boss room. Today, PvP has slowed down in the game. Invasions are still common occurrences in a playthrough, but the thriving community has largely moved on to Elden Ring.

1 Elden Ring

A Superior and More Complete Experience Than Previous Titles

Elden Ring is the latest release by FromSoftware that fits into the Soulsborne series. It is both a love letter to past titles and a huge step forward in quality and gameplay. Elden Ring brought back many game mechanics from Dark Souls that made the series unique and loved, from public messages being left in the world, bloodstains showing how players died, to PvP invasions and summons.

While Elden Ring can suffer from meta builds or overused weapons, the quality of the gameplay has never been better. Players can interact a lot more smoothly with less worry about lag. With so many different options for character builds, Elden Ring offers a wide range of styles for players to use. Eventually, the developers would introduce combat arenas into the game, where groups of players could team up with each other and fight to the last man. As the most popular game in the Soulsborne series, the number of active players in PvP is high. With the upcoming DLC, this number is likely to increase even further. Elden Ring has taken everything that worked throughout the series and improved upon it, making it by far their best PvP experience (so far).

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