Dungeon Defenders

Boss Rush II DLC launched on December 18, 2025, introducing a challenging new mission filled with boss fights and the Vampire Halberd monk weapon. The Guardian Hero debuted on February 19, 2026, complete with unique abilities and new defenses, significantly expanding gameplay options. Additionally, the Etheria's Primordial Palm Map released on July 15, 2026, offering a unique archipelago setting for players to defend.

• New Characters: The Guardian Hero became available, featuring abilities like Shield Bash and Divine Judgement.
• New Defenses: Alongside the Guardian, new defenses such as the Holy Cannon, Obelisk, and Empowering Shrine were introduced on February 19.
• New Pets: The Flying Saucer pet was added to Ruthless Wave 30 of Moonbase, along with colorable moon pets and the Rainbow Nessie as a wave 35 Dread Dungeon reward.
• Gameplay Adjustments: The teleport mechanic in Boss Rush II was changed, requiring players to use a portal after the second wave. The Guardian's abilities were also unveiled, enhancing strategic gameplay.
• Seasonal Events: The Burning Giveaway Event on June 23, 2026, allowed players to collect Burning Embers for access to a Boss Arena, adding a competitive element to the gameplay.

Returnia DLC launched on April 11, 2025, introducing five new missions across classic maps with fresh challenges and rewards. This update was complemented by the Valentine Citadel DLC on February 6, 2025, which brought themed challenges for the holiday. Additionally, players welcomed the new Warden hero and a host of new abilities and defenses on August 26, 2025.

• Major Content Drops:
  • Returnia DLC: Five new missions including Return to Mistymire and Aquanos.
  • Valentine Citadel DLC: Valentine's-themed challenges and rewards.

• New Content:
  • Warden Hero: An ancient forest spirit introduced with unique nature abilities.
  • New Abilities: Warden received Wrath and Forest's Protection abilities.
  • New Weapons and Pets: Including the Forest Mage Staff and Mini Spider Queen from Returnia missions.
  • New Missions: Tinkerer's Workshop and Challenge: Workshop Assault launched alongside the Warden.

• Gameplay Enhancements:
  • New Boss: Added to Return to Sky City.
  • New Map: Sky Spooktacular, featuring Halloween-themed gameplay.
  • Tower Additions: Oil Trap added to Huntress and Ranger’s tower selection.

• Balance Changes:
  • Hero Adjustments: Various buffs and nerfs applied, including significant changes to Gunwitch and Squire.
  • Tower and Weapon Tweaks: Adjustments to the health, damage, and targeting of multiple towers and weapons.

• Seasonal Events:
  • Tinkerer's Workshop Community Event: Held from May 16-18, featuring battles in the Tinker's Workshop.

Jester's Spooktacular DLC launched on October 16, 2024, introducing a thrilling challenge map and new unlockable rewards, including the Flying Pumpkin Pet. The President's Day Surprise 2024 DLC, released on October 2, 2024, added unique hero costumes for notable figures like Kamala Harris and Abraham Lincoln. Additionally, the Warping Core Challenge Pack II arrived on July 22, 2024, featuring new maps and the Warping Core modifier.

• New Challenge Map: Jester's Spooktacular offered players a chance to defeat the Flying Pumpkin Boss.
  • Unlockable Rewards: Players could earn The Corrupted Axe, Dragon Halberd, Punk Jester Costume, and Devil Mask.
  • Flying Pumpkin Pet: Defeating the Flying Pumpkin Boss unlocked this unique companion.
• New Difficulty Mode: Ruthless Difficulty was introduced, enhancing challenge levels and adding new baby pet variants.
• New Maps:
  • Eternia Gauntlet: Players pursued the Crystalline Squire with unique rewards.
  • Crystal Caves Map: Defend the Eternia Crystal in a lava-filled environment.
• Gameplay Adjustments: Players could now continue fighting assault bosses for buffs after defeating all cores, and all maps progressed to wave 35 on Survival in Ruthless Difficulty.
• Balance Changes: The damage per level for the Ruthless Eternian Staff was adjusted, and the damage multiplier for Zamira's Mount was increased to align with other weapons.

• Visual Updates: The Tavern received a spooky makeover, enhancing the seasonal atmosphere.

Dungeon Defenders launched The Hermit, a new hero, along with two new maps, Lifestream Hollow and Emerald City, on June 29, 2023. This update introduced fresh gameplay dynamics with unique abilities and challenges, reinvigorating the game's strategic landscape. Additionally, players could now access new items in Tinkerer’s Lab and several significant gameplay adjustments.

- New Hero: The Hermit, who wields spears and harnesses nature's forces, joined the roster on June 29, 2023. - New Maps: Lifestream Hollow and Emerald City were added, featuring unique rewards and challenges for players. - New Defense and Abilities: - Nature Pylon improved nearby defenses and boosted hero capabilities. - Wall of Webs and Seed Bomb Tower were introduced, providing new tactical options. - Forest Ogre enemy made its debut, presenting a tougher challenge with enhanced melee attacks. - Gameplay Changes: - Adjustments were made to various boss encounters, including the Boss Mech Gentleman in Lovers Paradise, allowing for tower damage. - A new mechanic for enemies with negative HP was implemented, ensuring they would die after a certain period. - Balance Adjustments: - Buffs were adjusted to respect enemy elements, enhancing performance. - Various bosses' health and damage outputs were fine-tuned to create a more balanced gameplay experience, including a 15% nerf to the E.V. boss health scaling. This year also saw the introduction of a 120 fps cap and quality of life improvements, such as increased item capacity in the tavern and enhanced UI interactions.

Dungeon Defenders Going Rogue launched on March 29, 2022, introducing a new roguelite experience featuring Etherian Heroes. This period also saw the addition of new maps and challenges, enhancing the game's content significantly.

• New Maps:
  • The Striking Tree and Spooky Buccaneer Bay launched on October 6, 2022, each offering unique campaign and survival rewards.
  • The Bazaar and The Lost Metropolis were introduced for Episode 2 on March 29, 2022.

• New Challenges:
  • The Halloween Invasion Challenge and Tavern Incursion Challenge debuted on September 28, 2022, providing players with exclusive rewards.

• New Hero: The Outcast, a remake of The Summoner, was teased on March 29, 2022.

• Gameplay Features:
  • Runes were introduced as a core gameplay feature on March 29, 2022.
  • Controller support for emulators was added on October 8, 2022.

• Balance Changes:
  • The Crystalline Dimension Accessory received a buff to max quality and drop rates on October 6, 2022.
  • Various accessory buffs and updates were implemented across multiple maps, enhancing gameplay balance.

• Quality of Life Improvements:
  • Game engine performance improved significantly, and new features like private mana drop and inventory quality sorting buttons were added on September 28, 2022.
  • Players received the ability to recover items on all maps and send longer messages in chat.

Dungeon Defenders launched DD1 Redux on December 14, 2020, revitalizing the game with new maps, game modes, and systemic overhauls. This major update included the introduction of several new towers and abilities, enhancing gameplay significantly. Additionally, players gained access to new gear, including Divine and Void quality bracers, and various adjustments were made to balance and performance.

• New Content: The update featured the addition of new maps such as Halloween Spooktacular 3 and Winter Wonderland 2. Players could also craft the Baby Old One pet and utilize new towers like the Speed Totem, SnowBall Tower, and Mortar Tower.
  • New Abilities: The Dark Shot and Confetti Cannon abilities were introduced, offering fresh tactics for players.
• Balance Changes: Adjustments included faster mob spawn rates on Ascension, and various hero damage scaling adjustments to refine gameplay dynamics.
• Performance Improvements: The FPS cap was removed on all 6-player and PvP maps, enhancing the overall experience.
• Quality of Life Enhancements: Cooldowns now reset during the build phase, and new save handling methods were implemented for Ranked and Local saves. Additionally, a button to move items to the item box was added for player convenience.

The True Boss Rush Challenge launched on November 9, 2019, offering players a new way to level up their characters to 100. This update also introduced several new maps, including Infested Ruins, Magus Citadel, and WinterMire, each featuring unique campaign rewards like the Honey Staff and Ice's Ban Hammer. Additionally, players gained access to Dungeon Defenders: Awakened, which brought new heroes and gameplay mechanics.

• New Maps: Five new maps launched, each with unique rewards.
  • Infested Ruins: Rewards included Honey Staff, Honey Spear, Honey Gun, and Honey Sword.
  • Magus Citadel: Featured rewards such as Arch Mage's Blade Staff and Jeweled Sword.
  • WinterMire: Offered campaign rewards like Candy Cane and Winter's Flame.
  • Tomb of Etheria: Introduced rewards including Sand Blade and a mummy pet.
  • Omenak: Featured rewards such as Soul Dissolver and The Goblin Wrench.
• New Challenges:
  • True Boss Rush Challenge: Provided experience orbs as rewards.
  • Spring Valley Escort Challenge: Offered rewards like Chicken Baller and Bunny Squire skin.

• Gameplay Mechanics:
  • Cross Save Functionality: Allowed players to transfer save data across platforms.

• Balance Changes: Various adjustments were made to improve gameplay, including a 20% increase in Crystalline Dragon attack speed and a rebalance of survival difficulties for Emerald, CR2, and CR3.

• Quality of Life Improvements:
  • Expanded item box space for achievements and added new achievements and trophies.
  • Introduced an item quality outline filter option in the options menu.

Dungeon Defenders introduced a significant new Challenge: Flames of Rebirth on January 31, 2019, alongside the Emerald City map, which rewards players with four new weapons. This update also enabled Cross-Platform Play, allowing Steam and Discord players to connect and play together.

• New Challenge: Flames of Rebirth launched, featuring the Embermount Challenge, which rewards a new shield and a random ember accessory.
• New Map: Emerald City added, offering four new weapons as rewards.
• Balance Changes: Several difficulty reductions were implemented for CR2 and CR3 bosses, particularly benefiting solo players.
• Quality of Life Improvements:
  • Coal was added to the Etherian Holiday.
  • AFK shop management saw a fix for controller users, allowing proper use of the 'set active folder' feature.
  • A fix addressed the random player spawn issue in the void during the game.
• Stat Changes: Gear was limited to 1600 on a single stat, while characters faced a total cap of 16000 on stats.

The June 21, 2018 update introduced significant new content to Dungeon Defenders, featuring the Arcane Library map and a set of CD Resurgence Maps that revamped classic areas. This update also brought a host of balance changes, quality-of-life improvements, and bug fixes, enhancing the gameplay experience for returning players.

• New Content:
  • Arcane Library: A new map added, offering a fresh environment and a new accessory as a reward.
  • CD Resurgence Maps: Updated maps from Mistymire, Moraggo, and Aquanos, complete with bosses and new rewards.

• Balance Changes:
  • Lightning Tower Boss Damage Reduction: Reduced boss damage from Lightning Towers by 50%.
  • Warrior Minion Revamp: Warrior Minions can no longer be targeted by enemies, with increased damage scaling.
  • Buffed Several Pets: Pets like the Monkey, Parrot, Ember Pony, and Fenix were buffed to increase their ultimate ability frequency.

• Quality of Life Improvements:
  • Loot Table Added: Players can now see the number of drops of each quality on the ground.
  • Increased AFK Shop Price Limit: The price limit for items in the AFK shop was increased to 1 trillion.
  • New Tower DPS Calculation: A new DPS calculation for towers was added to their information display.

Dungeon Defenders II officially launched on June 20, 2017, marking its transition from Early Access to a free-to-play model on Xbox One, PC, and PS4. This major update also introduced The Initiate Hero, the first gender-swap character, bringing new abilities and gameplay options.

• New Content: Several significant additions enhanced the game experience.
  • The Initiate Hero: Introduced with unique abilities like Chi Stomp and Crippling Chi Wave.
  • Updated Tutorials and Campaign: Included a new tutorial map and videos, improving the story and campaign experience.
  • New Weapons Added: A variety of new weapon models were introduced for different heroes.
  • New Summary Screen & Score System: A revamped scoring system evaluated player performance at the end of each map.
  • New Tower Skins: Added new tower skins including Bit Crush Dryad and Woodland Apprentice.

• Gameplay Mechanics:
  • Introduction of Incursions: New Incursions were added to Chaos mode, offering unique Legendary weapons as rewards.

• Balance Changes: Key adjustments improved gameplay dynamics.
  • Core Health Increased in Chaos: Enhanced core health to protect against one-shotting by enemies.
  • Buffs to Various Shards: Multiple shards received significant damage and proc chance increases.

• UI/UX Improvements:
  • Updated HUD & Health Bars: UI elements were cleaned up, and hero deck hotkeys were added above the health bar for better visibility.

• Performance Enhancements:
  • PS4 Framerate Optimization: Improvements were made to enhance framerate stability, especially during intense gameplay with many enemies on-screen.

Year 5 introduced the Embermount Volcano Campaign Map, featuring the Phoenix Boss on August 4, 2016, marking a significant content expansion. This update also brought new weapons, accessories, and pets, enriching the gameplay experience. Additionally, players saw balance changes and new gameplay mechanics that enhanced overall playability.

• New Campaign Map: Embermount Volcano launched on August 4, 2016, with a storyline cutscene and new enemy types, including The Harbinger.
  • - New Weapons: Four new weapons were released, one for each class, alongside three new accessories specific to Embermount.
  • - New Pets: Three new pets were introduced in Embermount Survival mode.
• Gameplay Mechanics: Players could now move while placing child nodes of beams, and a new setting allowed for toggling dynamic lighting for better performance.
• Balance Changes: Major adjustments included increased damage scaling for the Slice’N Dice and Lightning Towers, as well as enhanced attack speeds for Bowling Ball Towers and other defenses.
• Community Events: The Dark Elf Hunting event occurred on April 23, 2016, along with the Depths and Bubbles community event from February 12-14, 2016, allowing players to engage in special activities for rewards.

The Buccaneers Bay Campaign Map launched on October 15, 2015, introducing a new gameplay area along with a Survival mode. This update also featured the addition of pets and a new boss on April 29, 2015, which were highly anticipated by the community. Players also received a temporary Moonbase themed tavern and new challenges during this year.

• New Campaign Map: Buccaneers Bay added as a new campaign map with Survival mode on October 15, 2015.
• Pets and Boss: The introduction of pets and a new boss took place on April 29, 2015, enhancing gameplay options.
• New Towers and Accessories: Two new towers for the Jester, along with new pets and weapons, were introduced on October 15, 2015, as rewards for challenges and Survival gameplay.
• Gameplay Adjustments: Nightmare difficulty adjustments on October 15, 2015, ensured that all towers, heroes, and pets dealt damage as they would in the map, improving overall balance.
• Inventory Management Improvements: The inventory limit for Ultimate Defenders increased to 600, and players gained the ability to hide accessories without losing stat bonuses on September 16, 2015.

Dungeon Defenders Eternity launched on July 22, 2014, introducing the definitive version of the original game with enhanced content and features. This release brought a plethora of new heroes, including the Apprentice and The Monk, as well as new gameplay mechanics like Environmental Traps and a tiered enemy system.

• New Heroes:
  • The Apprentice made his debut with elemental abilities.
  • The Monk emerged as a support hero with anti-air capabilities.
  • The Squire was reintroduced with enhanced features while retaining his tank role.

• New Gameplay Features:
  • Environmental Traps allowed for strategic interactions within maps.
  • A tier system replaced the color-coded enemy difficulties, introducing upgraded versions of enemies.
  • The introduction of the Javelin Thrower and Dark Assassin enemies added new challenges for players.

• New Levels and Maps:
  • The Siphon Site D Level provided a fast-paced underground environment.
  • The Ruins Map showcased artistic updates and gameplay enhancements.

• Balance Changes:
  • The Ogre's role was redefined, requiring players to strategize more effectively against this formidable foe.
  • The Wyvern's tactical approach was updated, enhancing the need for anti-air defenses.

• Visual and System Improvements:
  • VFX styles received a significant overhaul, enhancing the game's aesthetics.
  • Anti-hacker security measures were implemented to improve player safety.

Dungeon Defenders Super Kart DLC launched on April 1, 2013, marking a significant addition to the game with its exciting new racing mechanics. Alongside this, players received several themed DLCs, including the Temple O' Love and Thanksgiving packs, enriching the game's festive offerings.

• New DLC Releases:
  • Dungeon Defenders Super Kart DLC launched on April 1, 2013.
  • Temple O' Love DLC was released on February 14, 2013, for Valentine's Day.
  • Thanksgiving DLC became available for free on November 15, 2012.
  • Free Halloween DLC was offered from October 30, 2012, for a limited time.
• New Content Introduced:
  • Akatiti and Tower Wars maps were released on December 6, 2012.
  • A new Ranked map was added on November 15, 2012.
  • The Halloween Mission Pack received an update on October 29, 2012, with new content.

• Seasonal Events Added:
  • New Steam sponsored events were introduced on December 6, 2012, enhancing community engagement.

The Free Anniversary Pack DLC launched on October 16, 2012, marking a significant content drop for Dungeon Defenders' first anniversary. This update introduced new features, including the much-anticipated Jester hero class and the new map, The King's Game, both unveiled on August 7, 2012. Players also gained access to four new weapons designed for the Jester, enhancing gameplay options.

• New Hero Class: The Jester hero class debuted, bringing unique gameplay mechanics and strategies.
  • Costume: The Jester's male costume, The Fool, was introduced alongside the hero class.
• New Map: The King's Game map was added, offering fresh challenges and environments for players.

• Exclusive Items: The Minish Hat, an exclusive item, became available during the Legend of Selda event series, which launched on September 21, 2012.

• Seasonal Event: The Legend of Selda event series kicked off with Dungeon One, providing players with new gameplay experiences and rewards.

• Anniversary Sale: To celebrate the anniversary, all content, including the base game and DLCs, was discounted by 75% on October 16, 2012.