Darkest Dungeon II launches into 1.0 today

The world’s most dangerous carriage ride sets off

A new tour of the Darkest Dungeon around is officially setting off today. Red Hook Studios’ Darkest Dungeon II officially launches into 1.0 today, May 8, and heads to Steam.

The follow-up to 2016’s Darkest Dungeon, this new entry makes a number of changes to the formula. Four heroes set off on a whirlwind stagecoach ride, hurtling into a decrepit and dangerous world to hold back the apocalypse. Different vehicle, but much of the same dread and despair.

Though it seems like it leaves some of the management aspects behind, it’s replaced with some run-over-run boons to help stem the tide of darkness. The Affinity system also ties heroes closer together, leading to synergies or dysfunction between them.

Darkest Dungeon II has already been in an Early Access state on the Epic Games Store for a little while. With the full launch, Red Hook locks in 12 playable characters and a complete, five-act narrative arc. The final two acts, as well as the Flagellant character, are specifically new to the 1.0 release. Corpse art, hero palettes, weapon kits, radiant and infernal flames, and achievements are also on deck for the launch today.

Further on down the road

Red Hook Studios is planning long-term support for Darkest Dungeon II as well. The team draws comparisons to its long-term support for Darkest Dungeon, which added town events, radiant mode, and more. There are already some new monsters on the way for Darkest Dungeon II, as well as playable hero origin skins and balance tuning.

Specifically, it sounds like mods are also in the works. Much like modding eventually came to Darkest Dungeon, Red Hook says it also plans to develop modding tools for Darkest Dungeon II after the 1.0 release.

We haven’t had time to put official words up yet on this new entry, but reviews seem varied. I’m curious what this sequel’s legacy will look like down the road, compared to its despair-inducing predecessor. If you want to find out yourself, Darkest Dungeon II is now available in full today.