While millions of Souls fans in the West are itching to get their hands on Dark Souls 3, Japanese gamers have begun exploring FromSoftware's new universe. The early release has frustrated some fans who are afraid of spoilers and falling behind. Thankfully, a trick has been found that allows Western gamers to access the game early provided they have an Xbox One.
To gain access to Dark Souls 3 early, do the following:
- Log in at the official Xbox website.
- On the far bottom left of the page, click on English.
- On the language selection page, select Japan.
- Search for "Dark Souls 3" on the search bar.
- Buy Dark Souls 3 using a Japanese address as your billing address.
Although the purchase will be through the Xbox Japan store, you will be granted access to the English version.
Note that this is clearly not intended, so there is a chance that sometime in the near future Microsoft will bar access to the game until its official release date. However, it is unlikely that progress will be reset, or punishment given, so it may be worth the risk for hardcore fans if only to get a brief taste of the game in March.