Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault will reach its full 1.0 release on 2 September after launching in early access last autumn. To mark the occasion, developer Digital Sun and publisher 11 bit studios are temporarily giving away the original Moonlighter on Steam.
The sequel expands the 2018 pixel-art adventure into an isometric 3D dungeon-crawling and shopkeeping game. Players return as Will, a merchant who explores dangerous dungeons to collect stock for his shop. Finding valuable goods means fighting through each area rather than simply gathering items.
What the 1.0 update adds
The completed release will provide an ending to the story, alongside new weapons and armour. It also introduces the Bomb path ability, which causes enemies to explode and gives Will another way to handle dungeon encounters.
Early access feedback has been encouraging, although the game still had room to develop during its initial release. With roughly 1,200 Very Positive player reviews on Steam, Digital Sun appears to have built on the sequel’s promising foundation.
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A crowded release window
Moonlighter 2 arrives as the year’s release schedule becomes particularly busy. Resonance: A Plague Legacy and Star Wars Zero Company are scheduled for 27 August, followed the next week by The Blood of Dawnwalker, Orbitals and Onimusha: Way of the Sword.
September is also set to include Marvel’s Wolverine, Control: Resonant, Qliphah in Providence’s Shadow and Silent Hill: Townfall, among other releases. That places Moonlighter 2 in a packed period for new games.
New platforms at launch
The 1.0 release will also bring Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault to Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5. Before then, the game’s early-access version has been available on Windows PC and Xbox Series X. A demo can currently be played across all platforms.
If the shopkeeping and dungeon-running formula appeals to your arcade setup, RETROCADE’s arcade machines offer a dedicated way to enjoy games at home. Compact spaces may suit bartop arcades, while hands-on builders can explore DIY arcade kits.
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