Darkest Dungeon 2 set for full release in February 2023
Developer shares community update with new content plan.
The developer of Darkest Dungeon 2 has shared a community update revealing its content plan and release date for version 1.0 of the game: February 2023.
The most recent game update, The Shroud of the Deep, had plenty of content, but the team is now working on its next batch following fan feedback.
There are three major areas the team will be focusing on: progression, relationships, and driving.
Progression is set to have a major overhaul, as the team admits the current system "is quite minimal and lacks enough meaningful choices".
"The new system provides a much stronger and compelling link between expeditions, and is focused around an interesting hub through which you will increase your capabilities and unlock new items," reads the update.
Relationships will also be revised, as they're currently not as engaging as the first game's afflictions. As such, tension and surprise will be added, as well as more meaningful choices.
"We believe that the central thesis of relationships evolving and impacting a party's capacity to survive the journey remains highly compelling. We are excited to revise the system to make the experience more active and engaging."
Lastly, driving will be improved "to enhance the preparatory aspects of journeying".
This new three-part focus does mean the team has re-prioritised its content. That means enriching its current environments and characters before adding anything new.
The update includes a revised roadmap of what's to come next, all leading towards that February 2023 release on PC (EGS and Steam), with consoles to follow.
Darkest Dungeon 2 was released in early access in October last year. In our feature on the game, changes were described as "transformative" but the game's community has been less enthusiastic, leading to this new revised content plan.