{"id":1557033,"date":"2026-04-19T14:26:47","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T14:26:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/RCotsgggvdyURasFPftUbU"},"modified":"2026-04-19T14:26:47","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T14:26:47","slug":"a-youtuber-has-unearthed-dark-souls-2s-enormous-cut-sewers-map-and-its-another-fascinating-insight-into-the-design-of-fromsoftwares-most-divisive-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/a-youtuber-has-unearthed-dark-souls-2s-enormous-cut-sewers-map-and-its-another-fascinating-insight-into-the-design-of-fromsoftwares-most-divisive-work\/","title":{"rendered":"A YouTuber has unearthed Dark Souls 2’s enormous cut sewers map, and it’s another fascinating insight into the design of FromSoftware’s most divisive work"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Whether you think Dark Souls 2<\/a> is FromSoftware’s worst Souls game or its best (as many diehard fans believe) it’s undoubtedly the game that had the roughest development in the series. The sequel went through a mid-development reboot that resulted in a complete story overhaul, as well as the various level design quirks evident in its strange, surreal world.<\/p>\n

One of the byproducts of this reboot was a host of cut content, ranging from small items to parts of levels to giant crab bosses. But one of the largest cut sections is an enormous sewer map that was ultimately replaced by The Gutter, a similarly subterranean area that connects The Grave of Saints and Black Gulch.<\/p>\n

While various cut areas of Dark Souls 2 have been unearthed before, this sewer level has remained hidden until now. YouTuber and FromSoft enthusiast Doneda<\/a> succeeded in restoring the cut sewer area, posting a video in which he explores the location in detail.<\/p>\n

As Doneda explains during the introduction of his video, the areas that appear in most FromSoft games are dictated by the asset format MapStudioBinary (or MSB). Modders can use various tools to manipulate these file formats, which is how Doneda was able to unearth the sewer area.<\/p>\n

As you’d expect, the cut map is incomplete, devoid of enemies and a lot of the more granular details you’d expect to see in a FromSoft game (like giant clusters of jars to roll through) But it is partially textured and mostly interconnected. It’s also absolutely vast.<\/p>\n

The bulk of the video is dedicated to Doneda poking around it, and it takes him almost an hour to do so even without any enemies to battle along the way. Some of the map has an almost temple-like design, with Doneda wandering beneath vast vaulted ceilings and domed towers. But as with the final version of the Gutter, Dark Souls<\/a>‘ Blighttown is a clear inspiration, with the midsection of the map featuring a jumbled, ramshackle shanty with vast superstructures visible in the distance.<\/p>\n

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