Darkest Dungeon 2 release date and time: early access precedes full launch

By Joe Julians

Published: Tuesday, 26 October 2021 at 12:00 am

Round up your team of adventurers and hope they all get along – Darkest Dungeon 2 is on the way. And, while we wait for the full release, we have early access to enjoy in the meantime.

Red Hook Games released the first Darkest Dungeon back in 2016, so the wait for the sequel has been a long one. But now it is (sort of) here, what can we expect and what changes have been lined up from the first?

Here’s the latest lowdown on Darkest Dungeon 2, including all you need to know about when you can start playing it via early access.

Darkest Dungeon 2 release date

The full version of Darkest Dungeon does not have a confirmed release date yet. That being said, there is early access for Darkest Dungeon 2 so we will be able to play a rudimentary version of it soon. Very soon, in fact.

Darkest Dungeon 2 early access release date

The Darkest Dungeon 2 early access release date is today – Tuesday, 26th October 2021. You can access the early access build of the game via the Epic Games Store.

Darkest Dungeon 2 early access release time

The Darkest Dungeon 2 early access time here in the UK is at 5pm BST on 26th October. So we just need to get the next few hours out of the way before we can start playing.

Which consoles and platforms can play Darkest Dungeon 2 on?

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Darkest Dungeon 2 is coming to PC initially but other releases have been confirmed to be on the way. An exact date for the other platforms remains TBC at the moment, but eventually, you will be able to play the game on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and the Nintendo Switch.

Darkest Dungeon 2 story

The Darkest Dungeon 2 story picks up right where the first left off and it turns out that saving the day in that one was only the beginning of the problems. The official synopsis teases that “the corruption defeated at the Estate is found to be only a symptom of a far greater evil that is already on the verge of ending the world.”

So it looks like you’ll be dropped straight into the action. “As madness consumes everyone, and apocalyptic cults and monsters spread chaos and decadence,” the synopsis continues, “the player and their party of heroes must journey to a distant, foreboding mountain to avert the end of the world.”

Darkest Dungeon 2 gameplay

What’s new in Darkest Dungeon 2? Well for starters this is said to be a road trip style game that blends together elements of Darkest Dungeon and The Oregon Trail, and you will have a single party of heroes on your travels, which you can change up each playthrough.

The Stress system will be in play and when the meter is full it will trigger a meltdown – always best to avoid those, we find. Relationships formed will be put to the test in the game as things like healing someone will have an impact on the bonds between the characters.

A mastery system is in place for character and game progression, and the irritating accuracy issue that plagued the first game has been removed for this follow-up. As for the heroes, you have eleven skills to choose from for them (up from seven in the last game) and upgrades can be done on numerous things from weapons to your travel wagon.

Darkest Dungeon 2 trailer

Yes, there is a trailer and if you have not watched it yet, here is the Early Access Darkest Dungeon 2 trailer for you to check out right now! It has the spooky subtitle Road of Ruin, check it out: