Software:Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault

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Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault
Developer(s)Digital Sun
Publisher(s)11 Bit Studios
Designer(s)Victor Ribera and Luis Pérez
Artist(s)Irene Alfaro
Composer(s)Christopher Larkin
EngineUnity [1]
Platform(s)
ReleaseNovember 19, 2025
(early access)
September 2, 2026
(full release)
Genre(s)Action role-playing, roguelike
Mode(s)Single-player

Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault is an action role-playing roguelike video game developed by Digital Sun and published by 11 Bit Studios. As a sequel to Moonlighter (2018), it is planned to be released for Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Nintendo Switch 2. It was launched as an early access game in November 2025, and was released in full in September 2026.

Gameplay

The game is an action role-playing game in which the player takes control of Will, a shopkeeper by day and a dungeon explorer by night. Unlike its predecessor, which is a 2D title played from a top-down perspective, Moonlighter 2 is a fully 3D game viewed from an isometric angle.[2]

In the game, the player ventures into diverse biomes in search of ancient relics while battling enemies with an arsenal of weapons. Each relic discovered in different biomes grants unique combat bonuses and modifiers. Players also need to actively manage Will's backpack, as certain relics will synergize with each other, triggering additional effects.[3] Upon returning to the village, players can sell these relics at Will’s shop. The earnings can then be spent on potions, new weapons, and armor to further enhance his combat prowess. The shop can be further customized with decor and display stands which further increase the value of each relic.[4] To sell a relic, Will must first set its price, check buyer's reaction, and adjust it accordingly.[5] As players progress, new merchants will set up their shops in the village, unlocking new customization options and upgrades.

Story

Following the events of the original game, Will and the townspeople of Rynoka are suddenly banished by an interdimensional entity known as Moloch to a remote, unfamiliar village called Tresna.[6] Will reopens his Moonlighter shop and resumes his treasure hunting activities to collect goods to sell at his new shop when a mysterious object appears in the village called "The Endless Vault".

The vault instructs Will to keep selling goods at his shop in order to unlock its rewards, hoping that by doing so, the Rynokans will reclaim their homeland. Moloch discovers the vault's location and sends Will and his friends back to Rynoka in exchange for the vault's possession. Finding the town destroyed and deserted, Will and the others realize that they have found a new home in Tresna with their new friends and return there. Moloch attempts to open the vault by force but Will stops him. Moloch attacks Will but is thrown into the vault instead and locked inside. The vault then rewards Will with one last gift, a seed of a Rynokan tree that they plant in Tresna as a sign of having finally accepted their new home.

Development

Moonlighter 2 is currently being developed by Spanish studio Digital Sun. Since Moonlighter was the studio's debut game, the team wanted to explore ways to expand on that foundation with new features, deeper gameplay, and overhauled combat. The team's experience working on The Mageseeker helped the team create combat systems that are more complex, while their work on Cataclismo paved the foundation for the game's transition from 2D to 3D using the Unity engine.[1] Its design was heavily inspired by Hades, with the team describing the game as a "shopkeeping roguelike.[7] The team also compared the game to Software:The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and Risk of Rain 2.[8]

Digital Sun and 11 Bit Studios announced the game in December 2024.[9] While the team initially aimed to launch the game as an early access title on October 23, 2025, it was delayed to November 19 as the original release window were crowded by the release of multiple high-profile games.[10] The early access version was launched with three biomes, 120 relics, and four weapons.[11] The 1.0 release for the game is set to be released on September 2, 2026.[12]

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic(PC) 80/100[13]
(PS5) 77/100[14]
(NS2) 80/100[15]

According to the review aggregation website Metacritic, the PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch 2 versions of Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault all received generally favorable reviews from critics.[13][14][15] Fellow review aggregator OpenCritic assessed that the game received strong approval, being recommended by 83% of critics.[16]


Notes

  1. ↑ Based on 46 reviews

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wen, Alan (June 20, 2025). "How Moonlighter 2 builds on its Zelda-inspired twist as it moves from 2D to 3D". Creative Bloq. https://www.creativebloq.com/3d/video-game-design/how-moonlighter-2-builds-on-its-zeldas-shopkeeper-as-the-hero-twist-as-it-moves-from-2d-to-3d. Retrieved December 6, 2025. 
  2. ↑ Jones, Ali (November 17, 2025). "Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault review: "Dungeon delving, balancing sacks of loot, then hawking your wares is still a compelling loop – but the exchange rate between those pillars is wobbly in early access"". GamesRadar. https://www.gamesradar.com/games/roguelike/moonlighter-2-the-endless-vault-review/. Retrieved December 5, 2025. 
  3. ↑ Jones, Ali (June 13, 2025). "Moonlighter 2 is one of the biggest roguelikes at Steam Next fest, but I might prefer its shop management sim gameplay to be an arcane adventurer". GamesRadar. https://www.gamesradar.com/games/roguelike/theres-a-whole-management-sim-hiding-inside-one-of-steam-next-fests-best-roguelikes-and-i-might-prefer-shopkeeping-to-adventuring/. Retrieved December 5, 2025. 
  4. ↑ Martin, Cole (November 26, 2025). "'Moonlighter 2' has one of the most infectious gameplay loops of 2026 — Raid dungeons, sell the loot, grow your shop, become RICH". Windows Central. https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/indies-idxbox/moonlighter-2-preview. Retrieved December 5, 2025. 
  5. ↑ Desatoff, Sean (November 26, 2025). "Moonlighter 2 made me reckon with how 'cozy' a shopkeeping roguelite with a heavy helping of Hades can get". PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/games/roguelike/moonlighter-2-made-me-reckon-with-how-cozy-a-shopkeeping-roguelite-with-a-heavy-helping-of-hades-can-get/. Retrieved December 5, 2025. 
  6. ↑ Yu, Johnny (November 26, 2025). "Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault adds another dimension to its beloved predecessor". Polygon. https://www.polygon.com/moonlighter-2-the-endless-vault-early-access-sequel-review/. Retrieved December 5, 2025. 
  7. ↑ Pelliccio, Meg (May 26, 2025). "“We Are Going Full Roguelike With This”: Says Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault Dev". TheGamer. https://www.thegamer.com/moonlighter-2-the-endless-vault-preview-inteview-hades-inspired/. Retrieved December 5, 2025. 
  8. ↑ Loveridge, Sam (June 8, 2025). "Moonlighter 2: The Endless Dungeon is Hades meets Zelda: Wind Waker and is coming this summer". GamesRadar. https://www.gamesradar.com/games/roguelike/moonlighter-2-the-endless-dungeon-is-hades-meets-zelda-wind-waker-and-is-coming-this-summer/. Retrieved December 5, 2025. 
  9. ↑ Shearon, Andrea (December 6, 2024). "Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault reopens the RPG shop in 2025 with a new look". PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/moonlighter-2-the-endless-vault-reopens-the-rpg-shop-in-2025-with-a-new-look/. Retrieved December 5, 2025. 
  10. ↑ Nightingale, Ed (October 1, 2025). "Moonlighter 2 delayed to November due to overstuffed October release schedule". Eurogamer. https://www.eurogamer.net/moonlighter-2-delayed-to-november-due-to-overstuffed-october-release-schedule. Retrieved December 5, 2025. 
  11. ↑ Evans-Thirwell, Edwin (November 19, 2025). "Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault is out now in early access with newly roguelike dungeons and more puzzling inventories". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/moonlighter-2-the-endless-vault-is-out-now-in-early-access-with-newly-roguelike-dungeons-and-inventory-puzzles. Retrieved December 5, 2025. 
  12. ↑ Stewart, Marcus (August 5, 2026). "Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault Launches Into 1.0 Early Next Month, Moonlighter 1 Available For Free For A Limited Time". Game Informer. https://gameinformer.com/2026/08/05/moonlighter-2-the-endless-vault-launches-into-10-early-next-month. Retrieved August 7, 2026. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault PC Critic Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/moonlighter-2-the-endless-vault/critic-reviews/?platform=pc. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault PlayStation 5 Critic Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/moonlighter-2-the-endless-vault/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-5. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault Nintendo Switch 2 Critic Reviews". Metacritic. https://www.metacritic.com/game/moonlighter-2-the-endless-vault/critic-reviews/?platform=nintendo-switch-2. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault" (in en). https://opencritic.com/game/19234/moonlighter-2-the-endless-vault. Retrieved September 4, 2026. 

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