Darkest Dungeon 2 – Release Updates

Darkest Dungeon 2 is the long awaited follow-up to Red Hook‘s dark, gothic and iconic 2D RPG Darkest Dungeon. Here are the latest updates and when it will be released.

Darkest Dungeon was one of the craziest, intriguing, challenging and well designed Roguelike Turn-Based RPGs out there. With its dark atmosphere, beautiful 2D graphics and genuine heroes, the game grew a lot in people’s hearts in 2016 and onwards.

I remember the first time I have started a new Campaign in this game 7 years ago, and the first thing I thought once I got pulled into that vortex of dark, sorrow, blood and blight, full of monsters and heroes, was that this is something else, this is truly more like a piece of art rather than an usual video game. Graphics, soundtrack and overall atmosphere of the game were so seductive and exciting. Each element, color, sound, animation, bind together like poetic dark romance. So good.

With a team of 4, in DD1 you would choose from a pool of heroes – e.g. a Crusader, a Highway Man, a Plague Doctor, a Jester, a and you would crawl into dangerous and dark places like the Weald, Warrens, Weald and Cove, or even the Darkest Dungeon itself, try to shoot down corrupted, plagued, unholy and sometimes face bosses like Necromancer, Prophet, The Collector or Shambler.

You would seek rewards like Deeds and Crests, Gold, Jades and Tokens. But man oh man, don’t we us old Darkest Dungeon players know how hard this game could get and how many powerful heroes we lost throughout the way. It was bitter sometimes, but so sweet overall.

What’s new in Darkest Dungeon 2?

Darkest Dungeon 2 will have similarities to its predecessor, but will also contain significant additional content, different, new NPCs and bosses, new locations, new items, new heroes and hero paths and a new way of navigating the world.

We will be taking a deeper look into the differences between Darkest Dungeon 1 and Darkest Dungeon 2 in this article and the additions that were announced via the release updates we have received from Red Hook. But first, let’s see when will the game be released in full!

When will Darkest Dungeon 2 be released?

Darkest Dungeon 2 will have the full release on 8th May 2023 on Steam and EPIC, as confirmed by Red Hook via their News post.

There are several additions and new elements brought in Darkest Dungeon 2, compared to its predecessor. Some of the significant changes and additions are:

• New UI, Improved Graphics and Animation
• New way of navigating the world – The Stagecoach system
• Stagecoach tokens – Armor and Wheels
• Stagecoach Inventory and Torch system in place
• New locations to explore with routes like The Sprawl or the The Foetor
• Multiple new items
• Pets!
• Heroes relationships
• Hero Paths and Stories
• New types of enemies to encounter

Early Access Updates

There were multiple Darkest Dungeon 2 Release Updates posted by Red Hook, especially throughout 2022 and 2023. I won’t go into too much detail on each one of them, so if you’re interested, please feel free to visit the News section of the Devs team site.

We are going to make a summary on the recent Early Access updates, ordering them by latest to oldest.

One of the most interesting changes made in Redemption Road, for me at least, is that they introduced new tokens for the Stagecoach – Wheels and Armor. Also, what excites me more is that they need replenishing, so you can either do that at the Inn for a cost or via encounters!

The party would get a benefit if the Wheels and Armor are at full. If they are exhausted, the chances of being ambushed increase.

The Altar of Hope update included various changes and additions to heroes, NPCs, gameplay and more, but I can say that this is one of my favorite early access patches, as it introduces a new system to the game that will have significant importance to our progression in the game.

They have added Candles of Hope which can be obtained by completing objectives and slaying monsters. These can be invested in the Altar of Hope which has 4 areas – The Interpid Coast, The Living City, The Working Fields and The Timeless Wood.

Each of the areas offer rewards once you invest in them. For example, the Interpid Coast will provide bonuses when reaching certain locations, The Living City is where you unlock Heroes or Trinkets, The Working Fields offer stagecoach upgrades or Combat Items and The Timeless Wood introduces a new mechanic called Hero Memories, which are basically temporary buffs to be unlocked for each of your hero.

And these examples are just a part of what the Altar of Hope is adding to the game.

But that’s it for now. I’ll come back writing about Darkest Dungeon 2 in the following period.

Just one month to go until release!