Darkest Dungeon 2 is leaving Early Access and launching on Steam in May

Darkest Dungeon 2 – the gloriously dark roguelike RPG sequel from developer Red Hook Studios – leaves Early Access on May 8th and launches on Steam the same day.

Darkest Dungeon 2 launched into Early Access back in October 2021, but sidestepped a Steam release in favor of Epic Games Store exclusivity on its way to version 1.0. However, as Red Hook has previously explained, this exclusivity will end with the full release of Darkest Dungeon 2, meaning it will be sneaking onto Valve’s platform soon.

And if you haven’t been following the last year and a half of Darkest Dungeon 2’s development, you might be wondering what changes this sequel brings. Chief among these (apart from the move to full 3D) is a new structure, described by Red Hook as a “gloomy, turn-based road trip” through five regions.

As you can see, this time players advance by piloting a stagecoach filled with a miserable crew of survivors they’ve assembled for the current run, driving down ominous lanes, choosing routes when the track forks, and stop at roadside stops for local amenities or experience whatever dark events and turn-based combat encounters may come your way.

Strategic weaknesses include the numerous blessings, buffs and upgrades available through the new Altar of Hope system, and each of Darkest Dungeon 2’s dozen heroes can be upgraded with abilities and items. Additionally, the original game’s affinity system returns, forcing players to manage their party’s relationships and psychological well-being lest dysfunctions ruin the current run.

Eurogamer’s Robert Purchese thoroughly enjoyed Darkest Dungeon 2’s new outlook while investigating its early access release in 2021, and Red Hook has made numerous significant changes to this original core over the course of development.

Curious gamers can download Darkest Dungeon 2 demo epos And steam now and offers access to two of its five regions (Sprawl and Foetor) and four starting heroes. Progress is not saved between attempts and only one region can be experienced per run.