Dungeon Defenders: Awakened was made from the ground up in Unreal Engine 4. A fusion of familiar and all-new elements, the franchise’s third entry contains an original story, updated visuals, revised mechanics, additional locations, and fresh loot. Version 1.0 includes a massive assortment of new content, such as the Ancient Dragon and Goblin Mech bosses, Mixed and Pure Strategy modes, Massacre Difficulty, new pets, and more challenge maps.

Return to Etheria and take up arms as one of four heroes fighting to defend the land from the forces of darkness. Get crafty during the Build Phase to assemble fortifications that will slow enemy advances as well as offensive structures to bombard their ranks. Then join the fray and cut them down during the Combat Phase with class-specific skills and abilities.

Swap heroes between waves to try out new tactics while enjoying the campaign on your own or fighting together as a team of up to four players in online matches. Whether in co-op or solo, heroes will reap the spoils of their victories, collecting powerful new weapons, armor, pets, and more after every battle. But be prepared: showdowns with imposing bosses, such as the terrifying Demon Lord, will test the skills of even the most hardened of veterans.

Dungeon Defenders: Awakened v1.0 features six difficulty settings, ranging from Easy to Massacre, an imposing new difficulty with unique foes to overcome. Choose from a horde of varied game types, including Pure Strategy Mode, where the squad must rely solely on siege tactics to stem the tide of invaders. Teams should also ready themselves for the unexpected in Mixed Mode, a chaotic variation that revamps the experience with randomized enemy spawns transforming familiar battlegrounds into turbulent struggles to survive.

Become Etheria’s undisputed champion by conquering the varied and dynamic objectives of Challenge Maps designed to encourage mastery. These maps scale in difficulty, providing the opportunity for new Defenders to get their bearings in easier difficulties, before charging headfirst into the hardest version where greater rewards await!

Dungeon Defenders: Awakened will make its Nintendo Switch debut on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021.

“The Lycan’s Keep” (previously known as Episode One) Update, will also launch on Aug. 4, available simultaneously on PC via Steam, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S; as well as releasing on or soon after the launch of Dungeon Defenders: Awakened on Nintendo Switch.

Progress through a multi-arc story campaign alone or with pals in online multiplayer. Place defensive blockades and offensive towers at the start of each map to halt waves of evil orcs, goblins, and dark elf armies that seek to destroy Eternia crystals. Leap into the action during the Combat Phase, where each character’s bespoke skills, abilities, and play style shines.

Experience the acclaimed Dungeon Defenders franchise for the first time on a Nintendo console with the arrival of Dungeon Defenders: Awakened. Choose from one of five heroes — seven with the launch of The Lycan’s Keep, including newcomers The Rogue and The Warden — and take down enemies in breathtaking fantasy environments across seven different game modes.

New obstacles and new allies await in The Lycan’s Keep, as The Rogue and The Warden join the battle-tested lineup of heroes you already know and love. Master swift strikes as The Rogue, an elite elven warrior and franchise newcomer capable of leaping from the shadows unnoticed, planting devices on enemies, and using his inner darkness to unleash massive amounts of damage. 

Decimate your foes with the wrath of The Warden, the newest incarnation of Dungeon Defenders II’s beloved Dryad. This stalwart guardian of nature prefers to use laser-focused flowers but isn’t afraid to lob exploding mushrooms or call upon a pack of wisps to assist her in battle.

The Lycan’s Keep also brings an extensive rework to the item system, greatly improving the strength and accessibility of gear. This overhaul is coupled with an inventory system revamp that emphasizes improved navigation and menu readability. Experiment with all-new thematic weapon sets, countless pieces of new gear and accessories, including equippable Wings, and deck out heroes with cute pets hidden in each map to create heroes with personality and utility across each game mode.

Dive into post-story content with The Lycan’s Keep. This adds four maps, both reimagined previous Dungeon Defenders titles and new, culminating in an epic showdown against the titular Lycan King. In addition to new maps and characters, The Lycan’s Keep update introduces new challenges for even the toughest defenders. The new Tests Mode brings character-specific trials in the form of one-on-one encounters with bosses without the assistance of hero towers. Enemies can now teleport through Portals on Rifted Maps to make a beeline for a hero’s Crystal Core. Meanwhile, Survival maps receive a special bonus wave with powerful rewards for those who can complete them.

“Since launching Dungeon Defenders: Awakened in 2020, we’ve been hard at work bringing the game to new platforms and developing post-launch content for our loyal defenders to enjoy,” said Alec Saare, Creative Director, Chromatic Games. “With the release of Dungeon Defenders: Awakened on Nintendo Switch alongside The Lycan’s Keep update for PC and Xbox this August, there’s never been a better time to heed the call of adventure and fight across Etheria!”

Key Features:

• UNREAL ENGINE 4:   WE CURRENT GEN NOW, DEFENDERS! This opens up the possibility for unparalleled visuals, cross-platform support and faster development! 
• FOUR PLAYER SPLIT SCREEN LOCAL MULTIPLAYER: This needs no description!
• NINTENDO SWITCH:  Not only released on PC, but also Nintendo!  Joy-Cons! Motion controls! Portability! Huzzah!
• NEW STORY:  Travel back in time as our young Apprentice, Squire, Huntress and Monk thwart the Old Ones’ latest scheme! 
• NEW BOSSES:  Sharpen your blades and magi-fy your staves, you’re going to need it!
• IMPROVED ATTACKS:  Slashing, slamming and shooting animations that pack a punch!
• BUTTERY SMOOTH MOVEMENT:  Slide and glide with great finesse as you defeat the hordes you doth protest! WE RHYME GEN NOW!
• BEAUTIFUL USER INTERFACES:  Be in awe of ALL the menus!
• VISUAL FIDELITY++:  Think Dungeon Defenders II, but on steroids.
• STAT IMPROVEMENTS:  Understand how gear affects your gameplay with greater clarity!
• VASTLY BETTER INVENTORY:  Organization never looked so good!
• GAMEPAD ACTUALLY BEING GREAT: A more responsive and modernized control scheme that also takes full advantage of the Nintendo Switch.
• ACCESS INVENTORY ANYWHERE:  The power of the Forge is in your pocket!
• TACTICAL MAP OVERHAUL:  Get all the information you need to be a legendary tactician!
• TWITCH INTEGRATION:  With a seamless chat overlay and the ability to vote on game-changing mutators, Twitch viewers will influence the fate of streamers and potentially spawn their doom. 
• BETTER CHAT FUNCTIONALITY:   Communicate strategies on slaying the armies that await!
• TONS OF QUALITY OF LIFE:  Mini-map improvements, mana acquisition, lane wisps, multi-hero experience — there’s so much quality of life it’ll affect you IRL!
• AND SO MUCH MORE!  (NEW HEROES? TOWERS? PLEDGE NOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN!)

Dungeon Defenders: Awakened supports cross-saves and features English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese language options.

Currently available for PC, Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, Dungeon Defenders: Awakened is coming to Nintendo Switch on August 4, 2021 for $29.99, followed by a PS4/PS5 version later in 2021.