Hand of Fate 2 builds on the original game's distinct RPG storytelling and combo-driven combat with the addition of companions, new fighting styles to accompany the addition of two-handed and dual-wielded weapons, new level objectives, a map-based meta board game and powerful new cards which can instantly sway a game in the player's favor.

Captain Estrella Fiore will be a terror at range, and while her interests align with the player's, a fearsome companion. However should the player find themselves on the wrong side of the Empire, Estrella will have some hard choices to make. On the tabletop, her unwavering persistence will also grant a second attempt during the new Pendulum minigame, designed to test precision and timing. 

Our heroine will lean on Estrella and other companions for support as she clashes with all-new enemy factions, including the new Greed and Frost suits. The Greed faction employs  deadly assassins and alchemists to hound the player with swift attacks and evasive maneuvers, while Frost's Northerner Giants leverage brute force and deadly homemade weapons to deal massive amounts of damage.

In Hand of Fate 2, the magical dealer returns to train a new heroine in the game of life and death so she can exact revenge on the protagonist of the first Hand of Fate, who now rules as a xenophobic tyrant.

It is with sadness that we announce Defiant is ceasing Development.

First and foremost, that means that our incredibly talented team are looking for new roles. Every one of them is a champion in their field. If you can hire them, you should.

When we started this studio, we did so with a clear goal in mind. To hire great people, to create great games and to do that in an ethical manner with respect for our team and our audience.

In 2010, Australia desperately needed studios to demonstrate that it was possible to have substantial, Australian owned, IP generating homes for talent. That there could be a studio model in Australia that would thrive without being dependant on international ownership. That Australian studios could make console games again. Nine years later, there is no question that is true, and there are many Australian studios old and new demonstrating that Australian game development is truly world class.

The Defiant model has always focused on creating games nobody else would. Games that reflected the skills and passions of our team. Games that did something new. Our process has always been focused on iteration and exploration. We go into dark places, searching for hidden treasures. We set out without knowing where the journey will take us, and we do so knowing that the unknown is not always safe.

That is a risky way to make games, and we knew that. When it succeeds it delivers things you could never have considered possible. When it fails, it leaves you without a safety net.

The games market has changed in ways both big and small in the 9 years we've been in business. We have not been able to change quickly enough to continue with them.

To everyone who has supported us on this journey, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

To everyone who's ever worked with Defiant, thank you so much for sharing your work and yourselves.

Studios rise and studios fall, but people are always more important - to the people of Defiant, staff, friends, families, and partners, thank you. May your futures shine bright, and may you change the world for the better.

I'd like to leave you with a small glimpse at the game that we were working on. This video is incredibly early, but shows a little of what we had planned to create next.

At this point, Defiant will continue in caretaker mode to support our existing products.

The game's challenges will be built from collectible cards. Players will create a deck from these cards, which the dealer then adds his own trials to, before laying out a hand to create a board game. Our heroine will travel from one card to the next, revealing new challenges to overcome including fierce third-person combat, dangerous locations to explore, tense minigames, and Dungeons & Dragons-style decision making.

A new map based meta-game allows players to discover and unlock those challenges in completely new ways. Gamers are tested through third-person combat, dangerous exploration, tense minigames, deck-building and Dungeons & Dragons-style decisions.

Although players previously faced the dealer's traps on their own, adventurers can earn and fight beside companions in Hand of Fate 2. Companions offer support in combat, provide exclusive options in the RPG portions and the board game sections, in addition to having their own storylines.

Among the new cast of allies is Malaclypse, a mage masquerading as a bard to hide from the Empire's ban on magic. Malaclypse provides ranged attacks and shield spells in combat, and allows rerolls in certain board game segments.

The aide provided by companions will be useful against Hand of Fate 2's new enemy types, which are once again united by card suits. The Steel suit is comprised of well-trained Imperial forces, while the Blight suit threatens players with corrupted, mutated men.

Claiming victory in Hand of Fate 2 will now be more complex than reaching the end of a deck; players will have to conquer specific feats like surviving a 10-level descent or saving up 300 gold before advancing beyond a dungeon.  Objectives in combat will also now vary beyond defeating all foes, such as defending a goblin from endless waves of soldiers for 60 seconds.  

Equipment in Hand of Fate 2 will also get a major upgrade, including the additions of two-handed and dual-wielding weapons.  While the board game portion will have all new challenging cards, powerful cards which provide favorable encounters will also be added to the mix.

Hand of Fate 2 is currently available on nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One and PC for $29.99 USD / €24.99 / $29.99 AUD. The game supports English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese.