Data miner Doneda showcased large prototype areas discarded during the early development of Dark Souls II, loading them for exploration using Elden Ring: Nightreign. The surviving content includes parts such as a massive arena, mines, an underground tower, and catacombs.
The relationships between these areas are not yet fully understood. Some sections appear to have belonged to a single interconnected map, while others may be different iterations of the same design concept from various stages of development. They might be related to the Undead Crypt in the final game, but this connection has not been confirmed.
This prototype seems to have been abandoned early in development and has rarely been discussed before. Doneda previously created a version of Dark Souls II's Frozen Eleum Loyce area playable within Elden Ring: Nightreign and also showcased an early, discarded version of the Abyss.
During the development of Dark Souls II, adjustments were made to aspects such as combat feel, hit detection, narrative, and lighting. The files released this time are still insufficient to determine where this complex area was originally located or which version of the story design it corresponds to.