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Dark Souls 3: how to access The Ringed City DLC

Brenna Hillier avatar
Guide by Brenna Hillier Contributor
Published on

Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City is waiting for you. Don't let it get impatient.

dark souls 3 the ringed city dlc

Dark Souls 3 has a new DLC pack today, and if you're ready to explore The Ringed City, go to it.

First things first, let's make sure you actually have Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City DLC installed.

  • Update Dark Souls 3 to the latest version.
  • Visit Steam or your console storefront and check that the DLC or Season Pass is marked as purchased.
  • Download and install the pack from the storefront if necessary; it may have auto-downloaded at release, or kicked off after purchase confirmation.
  • Open Dark Souls 3 and check the version information in the top left of the title screen - if yours just says "Dark Souls 3" rather than a DLC name, check the previous steps.

Got all that? Good. To begin The Ringed City DLC you need a Dark Souls 3 save with either of the two conditions met:

  • access to the Kiln of the First Flame bonfire (the bonfire after the Flameless Shrine, and right before the final boss)
  • defeated Sister Friede in Ashes of Ariandel and spoken to the painter in the attic

Depending on whether you've met one or both of these requirements in Dark Souls 3, you can access The Ringed City via the following method:

  • If you have not beaten Sister Friede, travel to the Kiln of the First Flame bonfire and turn away from the final boss arena to spot a new bonfire tucked in a corner. Activate it and select "Travel to The Dreg Heap".
  • If you have beaten Sister Friede, travel to the Sister Friede bonfire, make sure you've talked with the painter in the attic and then nearby, and search the boss arena for a new bonfire right at the back near the mysterious statue. Activate it and select "Travel to The Dreg Heap".

That's it; no more speaking to mysterious, hard-to-see NPCs or whatever. Just walk right into The Ringed City, and you're on your way to completing your Dark Souls journey. Perhaps you'd enjoy a link to the start of our Dark Souls 3: The Ringed City walkthrough now?

The Ringed City is the last Dark Souls 3 DLC and probably the last Dark Souls game, ever. We are already in mourning for what was.

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