Chromatic Games, the developers behind series reboot Dungeon Defenders: Awakened, has just announced a new roguelike spinoff titled Dungeon Defenders: Going Rogue. Originally known as Trendy Entertainment Inc. before its rebranding and restructuring in 2019, Chromatic Games is known for its tower defense/hack-and-slash RPG hybrid series Dungeon Defenders. The first game in the series was released back in 2010, where it has since gained a passionate cult following much like other great indie RPGs and spawned several follow-ups for a multitude of platforms, including an official fan-made redux of the original game for PC players.

With a large chunk of the series' fanbase claiming that none of the sequels have adequately captured the spirit of the first entry, the developers decided on a new route for the series following the divisive release of Dungeon Defenders 2. In the year 2019, a new game titled Dungeon Defenders: Awakened was announced and a Kickstarter campaign began to fund the project, promising a modern adaptation of the original title under a reworked development studio. In the following year, the successfully funded entry was released onto Steam, with updates for both the new title and Dungeon Defenders 2 still being released to this day.

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Now, seemingly out of nowhere, Chromatic Games has announced the surprise release of a new spinoff title in the series known as Dungeon Defenders: Going Rogue. This new entry, which has released onto Steam Early Access at the same time as the official announcement on March 29, gives a roguelike spin on the franchise's iconic gameplay and environments. Rather than releasing as its own completely separate entity, however, the developers have stated that Going Rogue will also function as a companion to Dungeon Defenders: Awakened. "We’re releasing with the base four heroes, but we will be bringing in all of the Dungeon Defenders Awakened heroes over time. As we create more maps, heroes, enemies, and loot, we’re also able to bring these things into Going Rogue and mold them to fit within the gameplay." While the concept is strange given the normal gameplay the series is known for, this isn't the first time a company has made wild spinoff video games, and it likely won't be the last; a recent trademark file hints that horror survival game Dead by Daylight could get a dating sim.

Rather than the tactical and methodical gameplay of its predecessor, Going Rogue is designed to have a much faster pace, permadeath mechanics, and a more simplified and streamlined approach to looting and upgrading through runs. Since this title is built with the same assets and engine as Awakened, the developers have made it easier to develop content for both games simultaneously, promising not only to catch up on the new content currently available in the mainline entry but also to continuously adapt all future expansions.

It has been quite an exciting few years for fans of the Dungeon Defenders series, with the recent releases of Awakened and Going Rogue along with the continuous support for Dungeon Defenders 2. While it's clear that the new Early Access release is currently far from finished (similar to Baldur's Gate 3's Early Access release), it appears that there will be no shortage of content any time soon for the series. Only time will tell if this new release will live up to fan expectations, but it seems that the developers have big plans for Dungeon Defenders: Going Rogue moving forward.

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Sources: Chromatic Games, Chromatic Games/Twitter