While the North American servers for the infamously difficult Demon’s Souls were set to go down at the final hour of May 31st, Atlus today confirmed that they will now remain online “for the foreseeable future”. Released in 2009, the PS3-exclusive game features in-depth online functionality which has also been implemented in its spiritual successor, Dark Souls, which is available now on PS3 and Xbox 360.

“We’re incredibly excited to be able to announce that the Demon’s Souls online experience will persist for a while longer,” said Atlus’ Tim Pivnicny in an official statement from the publisher. “While it originally seemed as though it would be unfeasible for us to continue to sustain the servers, a number of developments have made it possible for us to continue to invest in and support our fans as they have continued to invest in and support Demon’s Souls.”

“For all the gamers who have yet to discover the game’s amazing online experience, we’re happy to say you can still log on and find out why Demon’s Souls is still regarded by many as one of the finest games of all time,” he finished. Atlus has also not ruled out the possibility of future extensions, “provided user activity and interest remain consistent”.