Red Hook Studios has announced "The Fire's Edge," a new downloadable content expansion for its 2016 roguelike dungeon crawler, Darkest Dungeon. This marks the first major content update for the game in six years and is scheduled for release on August 18.
The Fire's Edge introduces two characters that previously debuted in the 2023 sequel, Darkest Dungeon 2: The Duelist and The Runaway. The Runaway character will bring the new "Burn" mechanic to the original game, allowing players to set enemies ablaze during combat. The expansion also adds three new districts to explore: the Academie Duello, Craftworks, and Archaeological Base Camp, along with new trinkets and other surprises.
While some players have expressed concerns about potential conflicts with existing mods, Red Hook Studios has stated that new modding tools are in development to accommodate the update. Players can expect an adjustment period for mod compatibility upon release. The DLC will be available on all platforms except Xbox, which is slated to receive The Fire's Edge at a later, unannounced date.
This move to release significant new content for Darkest Dungeon years after its initial launch follows a trend seen with other established titles. Notably, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is set to receive a new expansion, "Songs of the Past," next year, and Capcom recently announced an "Dark Arisen" version for Dragon's Dogma 2, which includes quality-of-life improvements and a new region.
Darkest Dungeon originally launched over 10 years ago, blending dungeon crawling, turn-based combat, roguelike elements, and horror. Its sequel, Darkest Dungeon 2, released in 2023 to a more mixed reception, with some players noting a less favorable departure from the original's dungeon-crawling focus. Red Hook has indicated that further DLC for Darkest Dungeon 2 is planned for early 2027. No pricing has been confirmed for "The Fire's Edge," though previous DLC for the game was typically priced at $9.99.