Dark Souls 2 Release Date Announced via E3 2013 Signage

The Demon's Souls/Dark Souls series isn't known for being easy. It's quite the opposite, actually – the franchise has been touted by many as one of the hardest ever created. The games recreate the harsh and unforgiving landscape brought on by its forefathers, which came mainly in the form of dungeon crawlers and the like. Though the series may be hard, it is also rewarding and charming beyond belief.

Though vanquishing a particularly tough boss or conquering a certain area within the game might bring you some satisfaction, information made public today may not be as exciting. Apparently, the series' third entry won't be hitting store shelves until March 2014. Signage outside the Los Angeles Convention Center (which will once again be hosting E3 this year on June 11-13) indicates that this information is indeed true, and brings any hope of the game being released before the year is out to a screeching halt.

Here is the banner:

Though things could be much worse, many gamers were anticipating the game with much fervor. The franchise hasn't seen a new entry since October of 2011, and while downloadable content packages like "Artorias of the Abyss" have kept our tongues wet, it's disappointing to hear that we won't be able to get our hands on the game for another nine months. On the bright side, the extra development time means that the game will be extra-polished and maybe even feature more content. Furthermore, it's likely that the budget for Dark Souls 2 is greater than previous entries into the series, given its progressive success.