News

This is another update that we had planned for February, but came out a bit later than expected, but it has a wide variety of new content, QOL, and fixes.

New Maps :
Lovers Paradise
-  Rewards: Bow of Hearts, Spear of Hearts, Heart Fragment (campaign only), a random Temple of Love accessory, and a chance for a Shield of Hearts
- Survival Pets: Cupid at Wave 25, New Hamster at Wave 30, Fluffy Dragon at map completion 
Crystal Escort: Wandering Heart
- Rewards: Staff of Hearts, Sword of Hearts, Heart Fragment, a random Temple of Love accessory and guaranteed a Shield of Hearts

New Items :
You can use 88 Heart Fragments on the new forge on the Tavern’s second floor to spawn a Crystal Heart
The new Hearts weapons do Love Damage. It’s generic damage that has pink damage numbers
The staff of Hearts, Spear of Hearts, and Sword of Hearts have a 10% movement speed increase 
The staff of Hearts right-click heals allies instead of doing AoE damage
Shield of Hearts heals a percentage of your health on successfully blocking damage
New Hamster, Steam Robot, and Cupid

Quality of Life :
- Removed the ship from Striking Tree and moved the spawn to the center of the map
- Gas and Darkness traps now reset when entering a build phase
- Healing pets no longer try to heal you when they can’t
-  You can now see the lab assault EV bosses on the minimap
- Added hysteresis to trip wire towers (buff beam, reflection beam, etc), which can be toggled with “Control + B”. This means they snap to the max length for each DU option
- Added more Ultimate++ armor seeds
- Staff left + right click charges to 70%
- Made most events unsellable. The only exceptions are Admiral Djinn, Blu, and Aladdin’s Wish
- Made the practice dummy more accurate the longer you attack it for
- Tentatively made all the skins that unlock on only Insane difficulty or under also unlock on Nightmare
- Made Summoner’s Overlord Mode ability not get canceled/prevented from use on map completion, letting people use it to pick up items that drop on the last wave
- Made it possible for weapons from this patch onward to have a fire rate higher than 10 shots per second
- Split screen status ( Hidden / Shown ) doesn’t get changed on in-game cinematics
 - True Boss Rush now has a working timer
- The upgrade tower ability now prioritizes towers that you have enough mana to upgrade
- Prioritisation of towers in the upgrade tower ability is now customizable from UDKCDTSettings.ini
- Added config option to bring back old upgrade tower behavior
- Shift/Ctrl upgrading a hero stat on cats now upgrades boost/range/number of players for you
- You now get an experience orb as a one-time reward upon getting the Ultimate Defender achievement
- Minimum lobby level requirement is now saved
- Level rewards are no longer automatically locked when they get added to your inventory
- Added unequip all button to hero info UI
- Call of arms now has an indicator when activated, similar to hero and tower boost
- Made unearned achievement appear first when inspecting the crystal

Bug Fixes :
- Added collision volumes where Boss Ev's usually get stuck on Lab Assault
- Removed collision from rocks under the map on Lab Assault so Boss EVs don’t get stuck
- Fixed kill volume on Spooktacular Bay killing auras and Krakens
- Fixed a bunch of miscellaneous collisions on Spooktacular Bay
- Expanded Overlord bounds on Spooktacular Bay
- Fixed roof collisions on Spooktacular Bay
- Added collision where ogres get stuck under the bay on Spooktacular Bay
- Potentially fixed copter ogres getting stuck in the air on Spooktacular Bay
- Fixed getting stuck when going to the roof on Spooktacular Bay
-  Made Mushroom and trees collisions smaller on Striking Tree
- Fixed invisible mushrooms on Striking Tree
- Fixed a bunch of minor collision issues on Striking Tree
- Added back the missing triggers for steam achievements from update 7
- Fixed a typo in one of the names for a Staff of Flowers core drop
- Fixed the old one not shooting fireballs
- Fixed bug where tower boosters would not always affect aura attack rates
- Fixed the broken report bug button to link on the pause menu
- All Update 9.0 weapons now have size randomization similar to Update 8.7’s weapons
- Melee pets now properly hit Kraken, Spider Queen, and Goblin Mech bosses
- Fixed Jade Serpent being white when dropped on the ground
- Pets that look identical can now both contribute to familiar related achievements (ex: robot from tinkers lab and alc lab)
- Fixed bug where pets that did the line of sight checks could never target the cruiser ship boss core
- Fixed broken links on the welcome screen
- Fixed issue where “toggle other players towers sellable” was impossible to select on a controller
- Fix for copter ogres getting stuck on one spot outside the map on Winter Wonderland
- Remade collision for trees on Striking Tree, stuck mobs and drops should be less frequent
- Possible fix for Jester Fool skin call-out animation with guns
- Made Pumpkin Snowman boss drop mana on Spooktacular Bay and Halloween Invasion

Balance Changes :
- Mini Kraken, Mini Genie King, Mr. Owl, Dice, Christmas Elephant, Mega Chicken, Forge Robot, and Tiger had their melee range increased
- Increased range for Wasp Pet and decreased melee range
- Removed ranged attack from Mega Chicken
- Limited upgrading Mega Chicken’s shots per second to 4, to avoid using upgrades when that wouldn’t do anything 
- Made Ult rates for Ember Pony and Fenix better
- Buffed Ember Pony damage multiplier
- Tentatively made Ember Pony float higher when equipped
- Karathiti Monkey buffed to be on the same level as Akatiti Monkeys
- Removed movement speed from Final Patch
- Made all characters and skins, with the exception of Jester, move 10% faster by default
- Decreased mana cost scaling of Squire’s Blood Rage ability
- Decreased the movement speed multiplier on Squire’s Blood Rage ability
- Increased damage scaling of Countess’ Call to Arms ability 
- Decreased mana cost of Countess’ Call to Arms ability
- Added a flat 20% speed multiplier to other heroes in Countess’ Call to Arms ability range
- Made base Series EV and Bounty Hunter EV skin have better-cast rate scaling than a jester
- Added Joust fire trail from Redux, it now scales with ability 2.
- Talay Mining Complex survival now has 35 waves. Added a Steam Bot pet to wave 25
- Made Hashat's Recurve max projectile speed upgrade be 75000
- Made Hashat's Recurve elemental damage type roll between only fire and lightning
- Buffed ember shield to be in line with other shields
- Added Black Knight and Black Bishop weapons to King’s Game
- King’s Game Survival now gives the Campaign weapon rewards
- Coastal Bazaar now has in-game trophies 
- Chests now drop more items when open after the first wave on maps
- Made Pirate Patch from Challenge: Pirate Invasion drop with colors
- Added Turkey Bracers to Challenge: Greater Turkey Hunt
- Buffed the following accessories to be in line with other end-game accessories: Pirate Hat, Pirate Patch, Defender's Cornucopia, Defender's Headdress, Gobbler Shield, Turkey Mask, Santa Hat, Santa Beard, Top Hat, and Bow
- Added for weapon rewards  Halloween Spooktacular on Nightmare
- Staff charge rate can now be upgraded to 128
- Made all Mr. Owl pets 30% bigger
- Reduced Coastal Bazaar survival difficulty
- Old generic Dragon Bracers now are part of the Spooky Accessory Set
- Armguards of Love now are part Pink Temple of Love Accessory Set
- Made Ember Crescent always spawn with 1 extra projectile
- Buffed mage towers drop chance to 15%
- Buffed siege mech drop chance to 80% and drops to 6
- Made Outlander Ranger flight time the same as EV 1.75 skin
- Removed movement speed from Calamity Blade
 - Changed type sort to consider armor set bonus types (pristine, mail..) before the actual slot type (helmet, gloves..)
 - Changed type sort to separate accessory types (hats, masks, shields..)
- Reduced Apprentice’s Fireball Tower attack rate, boosted tower damage, and gave it 25% extra projectile speed
 

DEFENDERS,

Today we have an exciting new update which includes some huge changes we have been working hard on! There are two main features to highlight: Loadouts to customize heroes with new abilities and Map Choice which gives players the choice of which map and mode to go to next. In addition to these we have also made changes to game flow, balance, health, runes, weapons, and UI polish. Read on for the details or jump in the game and check them out right away!

Loadouts
Each hero now has at least 4 new abilities that are unlocked through a variety of quests and challenges. These new abilities are not intended to be complete replacements for the default ones but to enhance and give additional options to each hero. In addition to Abilities there are also two other types of Loadouts: Runes and Offhands.

Abilities
These are alternate abilities for the Skill (Right-Click), Ability One (F), Ability Two (C), and Movement (Shift). Each hero has at least four new abilities but some have more.

Equipment
These are two slots which allow players to choose some of their starting equipment and are also unlocked through quests like Abilities.

Starting Rune
Before this update each hero would unlock and automatically equip a new Rune with each Hero Level. This was called Hero Mastery but it didn’t provide the kind of customization that we were hoping for. Now each Hero Level will unlock a new rune and players can choose one to start with.

Starting Offhand
Offhands will no longer drop from chests in-game but instead are something players unlock and choose to begin the game. They can still be upgraded at the Void Shop’s Blacksmith or purchased at the Void Shop’s Shopkeeper.

Each now also has a unique base effect which gives it a specific purpose and allows for more control over the role of the hero.

Unlocking
All of the new loadouts need to be unlocked. Some are simple quests like “Complete 5 Runs on the Squire”. Others are more of a challenge like in the above screenshot of “Defeating any boss on Hard by only using Defenses”.

Map Choice
One of the major goals for this update is to give players a choice of which map to go to next and if they want something that’s more challenging but also more rewarding or to just pick their favorite map. 

Portals
With this players now must choose a portal to go through after each map victory. In Multiplayer the portal is chosen by the Game Host after all players are ready.

New Game Modes
Moving Core
A twist on the old challenge from DD1 and DDA. In DDGR it is different in that the Core will move between different stopping points where it is blocked by some inconveniently placed barrels. Luckily those barrels can be destroyed once the Core gets there. Unluckily the enemy is very attached to those barrels and will start attacking in order to defend them. Once all of the barrels have been cleared the core will continue on until it reaches the next stopping point or the end goal.

Warping Core
At the start of each wave and in between waves on Hard difficulty the Core will teleport to a new location. Chase it around and get there before the enemies do!

Arena
This is a brand new game mode to test out gameplay that isn’t centered on the Core. Navigate your way through three new maps avoiding traps, enemies, and then defeating a Mini-Boss at the end. These maps will only be found as a choice before the Boss map in each Act.

Rewards
Each of these new game modes provides an increase in challenge and with it an additional reward!

General
While the Loadouts and Map Choice were the biggest focus in this update there are also a lot of other changes we have made to help bring the game closer to what we originally envisioned for it. These include changes to the basic game mechanics but also tweaks to balance and items.

Gameflow
One of the biggest changes previous players will notice is that there are no longer downtimes in between waves. The map will start after a countdown and then waves of enemies will come until it’s over with a final chest rewarded at the end.

With this we have also added a Pause function when the Escape Menu is open in single player.

In addition to the changes to waves there has also been a large amount of polish to everything from boss introductions to death cameras. We hope it provides a more polished and rewarding experience overall!

Health
Another big change that players will notice is that Health will no longer regenerate after each map but persists between map transitions. There have also been various tweaks to Runes, Item Effects, Talents, and Health Drop rates in order to hopefully accomplish our goal of making Health feel more like a resource that must be managed.

Runes and Weapons
There are way too many various changes to list here but there have been changes to the balance of Runes and Weapons. Updates to the base effects on Weapons to make them all feel more unique and powerful.

We have also added some new Runes into the drop pool so look out for those!

One of the biggest changes that should be noticeable is that there will be more Runes and Weapons in the drop pool by default. Previously these would be unlocked through Hero and Account Levels but we didn’t feel like the default experience provided enough choices in Runes and Weapons. So with the addition of Loadouts into the Progression system we have made it so that most Runes and Weapons can drop.

UI Updates
We have also done an overhaul throughout the game on many different aspects of the UI in order for it to be more user friendly and generally polished. We hope that this provides a better overall experience but know there is still room for improvement so please let us know what else you’d like to see there!

Social Defenders
To stay up-to-date on the latest news from Chromatic Games and the Dungeon Defenders franchise, follow us on all our social channels:

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For Etheria!
Chromatic Games

• 
  
• There was little variety in their behavior, making any gameplay that involved them monotonous and predictable.
  
• They utilized extremely basic AI, flying straight for their objective without deviation.
  

Defenders, our first Beastmaster Contest has come to a close, but a new contest begins now. Our next Pet: Purrlin. Go find those magical little gatos, Defenders! You have until May 13th at 11:59 PM EDT to submit your Purrlins in this thread.

There was a lot of awesome participation for the Growld contest. Thank you to everyone that participated. We understand that getting Growld in the timeframe was a little difficult, and we are adjusting the rules accordingly. Starting with this contest, we will pick the top 3 pets as winners, and their owners will all receive the “Beastmaster” title.

Without further ado, the winners of the Growld Beastmaster contest are:

• Pesage
  

• Betto9000

• Quadfire

Thank you to our winners for being such good sports and a huge thank you to Mapatti for making handy-dandy charts! We love data! Winners, keep an eye on your PMs early next week for your title code. 

For full contest rules, see the previous post.

Want to win an exclusive “Snapshooter” in-game title? We’re looking for the funniest screenshots! If yours is funny enough, that title can be yours!

From now until August 19th at 2 PM EDT, go on a quest for the funniest in-game screenshot you can take and submit it in this blog! We’ll pick three winners on August 20th!

To enter, take an in-game screenshot and upload it to Steam. Embed the Steam image in a comment below along with a link to the image on Steam. You may submit as many screenshots as you want, but please only submit one image per post.

The Snapshooter Contest is judged by a panel of Trendy community team employees with zero sense for good taste or art. Here is a loose guideline on how we’re judging the screenshots:

1. G.U.T. -- Genuine, Ultimate Tummy-feeling. If the screenshot tickles something inside our abdominal food synthesizers that makes us say “wow” or “good gravy,” chances are we’ll pick it as a winner.

2. No HUDs -- Screenshots with the Heads Up Display activated will score lower than HUDless shots. Press “H” to let the game shine.

3. Originality -- Don’t steal from other players. We’re watching you.

4. Terminus -- If you can incorporate Terminus, the Roman god who protected boundary markers, into your photos, you’ll earn extra points. How you’re going to do this with an in-game screenshot is beyond us, but we like to be surprised.

You must have your Steam account linked to your forum account. All screenshots must be taken by the Steam account that’s linked to the forum account. Any entry that is stolen from another player will result in the permanent removal of your forum account.

Happy Snapshotting, Defenders!

1. 
   
2. Armor that provides visual progression: This allows you to change the way your hero looks based on your playstyle. (Lots of exciting things I can’t talk about just yet!)
   
3. Armor that provides stat boosts: Stat pieces that drop in the world and can be equipped. We call these pieces Relics!
   

1. 
   
2. Relic Type: This can be a Talisman, Tome, or Totem.
   
3. Who Can Equip It: The item info will display which heroes can equip the relic.
   
4. Where It Can Be Slotted: This is indicated by corresponding visuals.
   
5. And all of the other things you've come to expect from loot: Stats, tiers, etc.
   

1. 
   
2. Worn
   
3. Sturdy
   
4. Powerful
   
5. Epic
   
6. Mythical
   
7. And the much coveted Legendary!
   

Level Designer Steven Collins hard at work making a PAX specific build of the game.

Surfing Ogres made it even more difficult!

All that aside, the response was very positive. Below you can see some of the writeups, livestreams, and videos that came out of the press tour. And we’re still expecting more!

• 
  
• Game Informer: “There Are Even More Reasons To Team Up In Dungeon Defenders II”
  
• GamesRadar: “Rube Goldberg machines of death abound in Dungeon Defenders 2”
  
• Digital Trends: “Dungeon Defenders 2 grows up with a new focus on colorful loot.”
  
• Buzz Focus: “Hands-On with ‘Dungeon Defenders II’ – Promise in Pre-Alpha”
  
• GameSpot: “Dungeon Defenders II - Now Playing”
  
• Joystiq: “Teaming with Trendy in Dungeon Defenders 2”
  
• Destructoid: "Dungeon Defenders 2 Pre-Alpha Gameplay with Max Scoville"
  

[video=youtube_share;vTA9tOHoHN8]http://youtu.be/vTA9tOHoHN8[/video]

Dungeon Defenders Lawn Mower Melee

New-and-Improved Melee in Dungeon Defenders II

New enemies go through a lot of iteration, including names!

• 
  
• He has absolutely no interest in your defenses or the map objectives, he will never attack them
  
• He’s a flying melee enemy.
  
• He has lower health and higher damage compared to other enemies.
  
• There are clear tells as to when he’s approaching.
  
• Higher tier versions of this enemy are initially cloaked, but savvy players can initiate combat with him first.
  

• 
  
• Ranged heroes, like the Huntress or Apprentice.
  
• Weakened heroes that are low on HP.
  
• High-priority threats, like heroes with a high damage build.
  

This menu is in-progress and temporary.

Yes, that’s a lightning elemental sword. And yes, it actually does something cool now!

This orc is just doomed to die a horribly painful death.

• 
  
• Encourage players to learn the traps and, by extension, to learn the map.
  
• Encourage players to move around the map to use them.
  
• Provide a wildcard to help players regain control in an emergency.
  
• Add choice to the action gameplay and to defense placement.
  

• 
  
• A trap that can be used frequently to low effect, or
  
• A trap that can be used infrequently to high effect

• 
  
• A trap that fires a constant, high-DPS stream while the player holds down the attack trigger, or
  
• A trap that fires a single, high-damage explosive burst when triggered

[video=youtube_share;Ix4Nr76q40Y]http://youtu.be/Ix4Nr76q40Y[/video]

It’s a Trap!

E.V.O.O -- Exceptionally Volatile (certified Organic!) Oil

That Girl is POISOOOOOOOON

Huntress Traps

Monk Auras

Hey all! We’re proud to announce that we’ve partnered with Sony to bring Dungeon Defenders II exclusively to the PlayStation 4! In fact, you’ll be able to play the game tomorrow on PS4 at the PlayStation Experience. If you’re going, be sure to stop by Sony’s booth to say hi. We’ll have various people at their booth all day showing off the game.

Stay tuned to our blog for more details on the PS4 version in the future. We still have a ton of work to do, but we’re excited to finally be bringing Dungeon Defenders back to a console. We’ve just completed our first controller pass (it needs a bunch of work!) and are exciting to dig into some other features, like local co-op and a controller-based UI. And yes, all of those features will also be coming to the PC version!