Dark Souls 2 cut content gets a large restored map

A hidden Dark Souls 2 sewer map has been restored by YouTuber and FromSoftware enthusiast Doneda, according to PC Gamer's Apr. 19 report. The area was an early, more elaborate version of what became The Gutter, the subterranean route between The Grave of Saints and Black Gulch.

The article ties the cut map to Dark Souls 2's rough development, including a mid-development reboot and story overhaul. Cut content from the game has surfaced before, but PC Gamer describes this sewer section as one of the largest hidden areas. Doneda restored the location through the asset format MapStudioBinary, or MSB, which modders use to inspect and manipulate FromSoftware map data.

The map is not a finished level. It has no enemies, is missing granular detail, and contains incomplete connections. Even so, the restored version is partially textured, mostly interconnected, and large enough that Doneda's tour takes almost an hour without combat. PC Gamer points to temple-like spaces, vaulted ceilings, domed towers, a Blighttown-style shanty section, a tavern, and a possible boss-arena-like chamber with large statues.

The r/pcgaming post was created on Apr. 19 at 14:21:43 UTC and passed 600 score during this crawl. The news value is preservation and development history rather than a playable release: it gives modders and Souls researchers another concrete look at how Dark Souls 2 changed before shipping.

Source: PC Gamer and the linked r/pcgaming discussion.

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Dark Souls 2 cut sewer map restored, showing the larger early form of The Gutter