Is Darkest Dungeon 2 epic exclusive?
As a long-time dungeon delver, I‘ve eagerly awaited Darkest Dungeon 2 ever since developer Red Hook Studios first announced they were crafting a sequel to one of my all-time favorite brutally punishing roguelike RPGs back in 2019.
Well frenzied readers, wonder no more – I can definitively say yes, Darkest Dungeon 2 is indeed an Epic Games Store exclusive…at least for its first year since launch. As part of Epic‘s aggressive competition with Steam, they secured a 12 month exclusivity deal to launch the game in early access in October 2021. Come October 2022 however, Red Hook plans end exclusivity and unleash their latest eldritch horror extravaganza on Steam as well.
Epic‘s Storefront Strategy – Buying Early Access to Top Games
Epic has chosen to burn vast piles of Fortnite money to fund deals securing exciting upcoming indie titles like Darkest Dungeon 2 for timed exclusivity at launch. While fans may chafe at temporarily losing Steam access, this strategy has proven extremely effective exposure for developers.
| October 26th 2021 early access launch | 100,000 copies sold first day |
| December 2021 player count | Over 800,000 expeditions started |
With peaks over 50,000 concurrent players on Epic in 2022, Red Hook looks poised to sell huge batches of torment to masochistic fans when the game also hits Steam this October.
Roguelike Reinvention – New Expedition Structure
Instead of the steady town progression and party management from the first game, Red Hook opted for a radically different roguelike structure focused on repeated expeditions across an ominous mythos-shrouded landscape in Darkest Dungeon 2. With each failed run, I find more reasons to curse loudly at the shambling horrors just waiting to crush my dreams of survival.
9 playable hero classes stand ready to drive players mad with terror and frustration:
- Vestal
- Highwayman
- Plague Doctor
- Hellion
- Jester
- Grave Robber
- Shieldbreaker
- Runaway
- New mystery class…
Fan Expectations – Excitement & Concerns
Reactions to Darkest Dungeon 2 shifting to Epic exclusivity and an entirely new loop structure have been mixed across the notably passionate DD community. Many proudly wear their early access badges, happy to support Red Hook‘s continued excellent post-launch updates. Others bemoan the lack of Steam Workshop mod support during the exclusivity period.
I personally welcome seeing developers try bold new gameplay directions instead of just iteratively polishing previous formulas. Epic backing has clearly let Red Hook rapidly grow their team and scope. Come October Steam launch, modders can finally go wild!
The Road Ahead – Future Platforms & Post-Launch DLC
Red Hook has explicitly confirmed console ports for PlayStation and Xbox are in active development along with the Steam release, with launch timing to be announced.
The original Darkest Dungeon also landed successfully on Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android devices, so more portable players will likely get their own ports after the initial PC launch window.
Knowing Red Hook‘s addiction to expansions, we can count on exciting new hero classes, enemies and end game challenges added regularly post launch as the team keeps building out this thrilling reinvented experience.
May 8th, 2023 – Full Steam/Epic Launch
After fulfilling their Epic exclusivity contract, Darkest Dungeon 2 arrives in full on both Epic & Steam on May 8th 2023. Red Hook has loaded the early access version with impressive breadth already, but still teases some unveiling spectacle for its official 1.0 debut.
As both a devoted dungeon conquering veteran and games industry commentator, I‘ll be right there delving the release day carnage. Will I ever manage to topple the Thing From The Stars? Get your sanity-blasting torch and laudanum stash ready to find out!
