Dungeon Defenders: Awakened News

Changed Golden Douglas to a 5% Drop Chance

[p]Hey Defenders,[/p][p]Today’s hot fix comes with a little surprise. There’s a secret Easter egg hidden inside the Tavern, and it’s not going to reveal itself easily. Somewhere within those walls lies an encoded message waiting to be uncovered. To decipher it, you’ll need to use multiple Julius cipher shifts and Vigenère shifts, and the key for the Vigenère cipher is hidden in plain sight within today’s patch notes. The first player to find and fully decode the message will earn the chance to name a weapon or accessory in a future update. Once the message is cracked, we’ll release a follow-up hot fix that will make it appear in-game for everyone to see. To qualify, the decoded message must be posted in the Tavern DD:A channel on the official Dungeon Defenders Discord server.[/p][p]As always, we’re deeply thankful for all your feedback, bug reports, and support. We see everything you share across all our social channels, and beyond and it truly means the world to us. We wouldn’t be here without you, and every bit of input you give helps shape the future of Dungeon Defenders: Awakened.[/p][p]See you in the Tavern,
The DD:A Community Development Team[/p]

[p]Announcement:

Dear Defenders of Etheria,[/p][p]Apologies for the disruption and we appreciate your patience while we hot fixed as quickly as we could. The last patch caused serious problems for many of you: multiplayer access was broken and our anti-cheat system incorrectly flagged players as hackers after the stat and gear-roll changes. That prevented people from playing online and caused a lot of frustration. We prioritized a hot fix to get multiplayer back online and to stop the false positives[/p][p]I want to be transparent about the tower reorder and why we made the change. Before touching anything we ran full play-tests from start to finish and found clear problems: the Guardian did not unlock a damaging tower until level seven, her primary and secondary damage magnitudes were low, and Shield Slam had a long cool-down and slow cast, which made early Guardian play feel slow and unrewarding. The Warden, despite having strong towers on paper, felt clunky as an active hero because of high cool-downs, low magnitudes, and a poor seed pickup range. At the same time we saw many towers that were solid in isolation being overlooked because a tower in a previous tier was simply better early on. Rather than patching balance with a dozen quick buffs and Nerfs that only chase one another, we reorganized tower order and tuning so each hero’s defenses feel meaningful and fun from the start. This was a choice for the long-term health of DD:A and we will continue iterating based on play tests and your feedback.[/p][p]We also reworked the Lycan King fight because it was being trivialized. A bug allowed players to phase him into a howling state and let the game auto-kill him in under two minutes at multiple progression stages. The Keep encounter should be a cornerstone challenge that tests gear and strategy, so that exploit had to go. When we fixed the trivial kill the encounter became too slow and passive, so we redesigned the mechanics to encourage active play and to act as a proper gear check. We buffed healing auras and fairy heals and improved items like the Obsidian Gemstone and the Happy Hera so skilled groups can sustain the fight. Expect cornerstone fights to reward thoughtful builds: higher armor or vitality helps, mobility matters, and using the fight mechanics matters. We did find some issues with test-mode scaling after the rework and we will give those modes extra attention in the next major patch.[/p][p]This update also brings new pet content and a little bit of fun. New pets begin appearing in Survival at wave 250 and then every 50 waves up to wave 500, and we tucked a small Easter egg into the tavern that reveals a secret message once it is cracked for everyone to see. A few honest call outs on things that did not make this hot fix: there is an item-box duplication glitch we are actively investigating, some pet and item tool-tips are not displaying correctly, and starting manna values on Lost Metropolis and the forge and foundry maps are higher than intended. Those fixes were planned for this patch but needed more testing than we could give while rushing the multiplayer hot-fix. They remain high priority and will be included in the next patch after proper testing. We also hear you about consoles; Xbox and PlayStation updates will come, but our first focus is overhauling and stabilizing the game on PC so the console ports land in good shape.[/p][p]From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. The Community Development Team is currently two people working day in and day out on this game because we love it and we care about this community. We read your posts on Steam, Discord, and social media, and your feedback—good and bad—shapes what we do next. If you want to help, please keep sending clear bug reports, leave feedback on our Steam posts, join the official Discord to talk with us and meet your fellow Defenders, consider leaving a positive review if you’re enjoying the fixes and content, share the game with friends and family, or support us by buying cosmetics. We truly cannot do this without you and we appreciate every bit of support and feedback.[/p][p]With gratitude,
The Community Development Team (two people, one huge amount of love)[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Patch notes:[/p][p]Hero Changes:[/p][p]Squire:[/p]

• [p]Input key bindings now properly reflect the tower changes[/p]
• [p]Bowling Ball Tower damage decreased by 30% to reflect the DU change[/p]
• [p]Sniper Cannon Damage decreased by 5%[/p]

[p]Apprentice:[/p]

• [p]Arcane Blast Damage Coefficient from 1.0 - 1.5[/p]
• [p]Manna Bomb Damage Coefficient from 1.0 - 2.0[/p]
• [p]Manna Bomb Cool-down reduced from 20 s to 12 s [/p]

[p]Warden:[/p]

• [p]Input key bindings now properly reflect the tower changes[/p]
• [p]Wrath gives the Hero a 25% Melee Damage increase[/p]
• [p]Wrath gives the Hero a 10% Speed Increase[/p]
• [p]Roots of Purity Wrath now gives a 25% boost armor, up from 15%[/p]
• [p]Roots of Purity Wrath damage, increased by 25%[/p]
• [p]Shroomy Pit Wrath damage, increased by 25%[/p]

[p]Guardian[/p]

• [p]Input key bindings now properly reflect the tower changes[/p]
• [p]Divine Judgement Rune Stun lasts for 1.25 s, Maximum of 2 stacks[/p]
• [p]Guardian takes 75% damage from nearby Hero’s during Divine Protection[/p]

[p]Weapons:[/p][p]Obsidian Sword-[/p]

• [p]Increased Hero Stat Scalars by 1.0[/p]
• [p]Increased Damage Scalar +10.0[/p]
• [p]Knock back Scalar of 0.05[/p]
• [p]Increased Attack Rate max by 0.2[/p]
• [p]Crit Chance Scalar increased by 0.1[/p]
• [p]Crit Bonus Scalar increased by 5.0[/p]

[p]Obsidian Staff- [/p]

• [p]Increased Hero Stat Scalars by 0.5[/p]
• [p]Increased Damage Scalar +10.0[/p]
• [p]Increased Projectile Roll Count Scalar to 0.4 from 0.2[/p]
• [p]Added Knock back with a Scalar 0.005[/p]

[p]Obsidian Pole-arm-[/p]

• [p]Increased Hero Stat Scalars from 2.5 to 3.5[/p]
• [p]Increased Weapon Damage Scalar from 33 to 50[/p]
• [p]Crit Chance Scalar + 0.1[/p]
• [p]Crit Bonus Scalar + 0.1[/p]
• [p]Crit Bonus Maximum Scalar increased from 25 - 40[/p]

[p]Obsidian Bow-[/p]

• [p]Rolls with 5 Projectiles from 3 (U.I reflects 6?)[/p]
• [p]Attack Rate Maximum -0.1[/p]
• [p]Added Knock back of 0.05[/p]

[p]Pets:[/p]

• [p]Topaz gemstone is functioning properly, (replaced its skeletal mesh with the gemstone) (Change the description to: Gives nearby Heroes 15% increase to Move Speed and Attack Rate for 4 s, with 2 s Cool down )[/p]
• [p]Lapis gemstone now applies the correct status effect to enemies, making them deal less damage. (There was a bug where the applied effect would give the enemy armor,[/p]

[p]- Mista Mine:[/p]

• [p]Added a Rift Variant to Ancient Mines[/p]
• [p]Gold Variant has a 50% Cast Rate, and a 50% Move Speed Reduction[/p]
• [p]Rift Variant has a 40% Cast Rate, and a 40% Move Speed Reduction[/p]
• [p]Normal Variant has a 30% Cast Rate, and a 30% Move Speed Reduction[/p]
• [p]With Increasing Hero Stat Scalars per variant[/p]

[p]Corgi’s:[/p][p]With permission, we’ve added a family of Corgi pets to Survival drop tables. These are special: they are the first pets in the Dungeon Defenders franchise to grant the player an extra jump. You can find these good boys darting through Survival starting at Wave 250, and a new Corgi is added to the drop table every 50 waves up to Wave 500. Currently these drop only on Massacre difficulty, Hardcore, and Bonus Waves, and they can appear on all maps.[/p]

• [p]Base/Rift Corgi:Provides the Hero with 10% Versatility, 40% Cast Rate, and Hero Scalars of 2.75, Rift Corgi gives 5% Rift Armor, and an EXTRA jump![/p]
• [p]Fightin’ Corgi: Provides the Hero with 15% Weapon Crit Chance, Hero Scalars of 2.8, and an EXTRA jump![/p]
• [p]EdE CorgE: Provides the Hero with 15% Move Speed Boost, Hero Scalars of 2.85, and an EXTRA jump![/p]
• [p]Chubbs The Corgi: Provides the Hero with 15% Hero Damage Boost, Hero Scalars of 2.9, and an EXTRA jump![/p]
• [p]Milton’s Militant Mutt: Provides the Hero with 2 x Vitality increase, Hero Scalars of 2.95, and an EXTRA jump![/p]
• [p]Golden Douglas: Provides the Hero with 15% Attack Rate increase, 10% Move Speed increase, Enemy Knock back, Hero Scalars of 3.0, and TWO EXTRA jumps![/p]

[p]Our Dearest Defenders,
[/p][p]It has been quite some time since we have crossed paths in the realms of Etheria, July of 2024[/p][p]to be exact, with the addition of cross saves. Across all social media platforms there have been[/p][p]lots of questions about content for Dungeon Defenders: Awakened, seemingly met with silence[/p][p]until now. During the July 2025 Dev Stream, it was announced that Chromatic Games brought in[/p][p]members of the Dungeon Defenders community to restart updates for the game. We have been[/p][p]hard at work learning the systems by looking under the hood of the game. We proudly mark with[/p][p]today's update the initiation of the Dungeon Defenders: Awakened Renaissance.[/p][p][/p][p]Who's behind the Community Development Team?
[/p][p]Coolgamer:[/p][p]Hi everyone,[/p][p]“It is an honor to be working under Chromatic to bring updates to DD:A. I am a long- time[/p][p]player of the Dungeon Defenders Franchise. Starting with DD1 on the xbox 360 at the age of 11,[/p][p]I played off and on from the launch of DD1 on the Xbox 360 until 2018 accumulating around[/p][p]3000 hours of game-time over the years, spending a lot of that time in the tavern connecting with[/p][p]many other players within the dungeon defenders community, where I made many friends, some[/p][p]to which I still talk to today. I'm also a player of both DD2 and DD:A on the xbox, and I played a[/p][p]lot of DD1 and DD1 Redux on pc throughout the pandemic. I played dd2 for a total of about 500[/p][p]hours across various platforms and DDA for about 475 hours. 250 of which I played from the[/p][p]launch of the xbox port of DDA up until the stat overhaul shortly after the keep came out, then[/p][p]took a break until January of this year. Outside of the dungeon defenders franchise I have[/p][p]played a wide variety of games ranging from Call of Duty to Kingdom Hearts, to Terraria, to[/p][p]mmo-rpg's such as dungeons and dragons neverwinter. I have a Bachelors Degree in physics[/p][p]and I am in pursuit of a master’s degree in Physics with an emphasis on Computational Physics.[/p][p]I fell in love with the dungeon defenders franchise because of the loot grind aspect, playing this[/p][p]hard map, or beating this hard boss and seeing if you can get a better piece of gear. Each gear[/p][p]felt unique, and more importantly it felt like mine. I also loved the wide variety of pets there were[/p][p]in the game to collect, each unique. My goal while working on the CDT is to bring that feeling[/p][p]back into DD:A, while offering many more hours of fun and memorable moments within this game.[/p][p]I look forward to working with you all to make an amazing experience from start to finish.”[/p][p]Best,[/p][p]Coolgamer[/p][p]
Tato:[/p][p]“Greetings Defenders of Etheria!,[/p][p][/p][p]A little backstory on myself: I have grown up playing all[/p][p]types of games, ranging from Pokemon on the Game-boy, to Wii Sports, to Fruit Ninja using a[/p][p]Kinect, all the way to shooters like Halo, the list could go on for forever. Having played all these[/p][p]different types of games, on all these different consoles, and yet… DD:A holds me near and[/p][p]dear. Due to peer pressure long ago, I now own a PC that I probably spent too much money on[/p][p]for the sake of playing games, so I make good use of it by streaming as well. In doing so, I[/p][p]managed to build a strong connection with some of you Players, as well as our Developers,[/p][p]giving the opportunity for Dungeon Defenders: Awakened to show its true potential.PS: I have 2[/p][p]adorable little animals, Sirloin Corgi/Pit-bull Mix (Black & White) and Mouse: Short-Hair Kitty,[/p][p](White & Grey).”[/p][p][/p][p]What Can you Expect From Us:[/p][p]Before we get into the bulk of today’s update and road-map, there is an elephant in the room we[/p][p]want to address. Throughout the original life cycle of DDA, there were many frustrations with the[/p][p]handling of the development. We want to assure you that we hear you and we are voicing what[/p][p]you say on social media, youtube comments, twitch chats, and on the Official Dungeon[/p][p]Defenders Discord Server. Some of you may be skeptical about returning to the game or to trust[/p][p]that the game we all love isn't mistreated again, which is understandable. The Community[/p][p]Development Team is a brand new team working on DDA, and we were players just like you[/p][p]during those times. As we enter this period of Renaissance for Dungeon Defenders: Awakened,[/p][p]the Community Development Team pledges to communicate with you about what's being[/p][p]worked on in the game. With every update you can expect patch notes detailing the changes[/p][p]and our thought processes behind each major change. We will interact in the discord server[/p][p]posting teaser and posting polls/surveys; we want to hear from you. We can't promise every[/p][p]suggestion will make it to the game but we can promise to be open minded and hear you out.[/p][p]With this pledge we hope you all will continue to provide us with feedback in any way you see[/p][p]fit. If you haven’t already, join the Dungeon defenders discord server to directly interact with us[/p][p]during the development cycle. Lastly, we hope you guys put your faith in us and show patience[/p][p]as we continue to learn the systems within DD:A[/p][p][/p][p]Dungeon Defenders: Awakened Renaissance Road-map:[/p][p]It is no secret that everyone involved went through a roller coaster throughout the original[/p][p]development cycle of Dungeon Defenders: Awakened. From the developers putting their heart[/p][p]and soul into the creation of the game’s content throughout the development cycle to the player[/p][p]base enduring multiple system reworks to communication issues amongst all parties, we can all[/p][p]agree that Dungeon Defenders: Awakened is a special game despite its flaws and has much[/p][p]potential to keep players coming back for years down the road. Our goal as the community[/p][p]development team is to exploit that potential.[/p][p][/p][p]A common feedback we encountered was about the game being too easy in its current state,[/p][p]and that its rewards pacing was really fast. We heard you loud and clear. Throughout the 5[/p][p]phases listed on the road map we have the vision of making the game much harder and more[/p][p]rewarding as you guys play through all of the content offered in DD:A before we can add new[/p][p]maps and other content. We also need to preface that our current focus is on the Steam port of[/p][p]the game to give us a solid foundation for the game to work with. Console versions of the game,[/p][p]specifically Xbox and Playstation, will be investigated and worked on at a later date, if possible.[/p][p]For those that play on the Nintendo Switch, we are truly sorry but there isn’t a big enough player[/p][p]base to justify the immense task of updating this version of the game. Add to it that DD:A is a[/p][p]REALLY intense game to run on most platforms and due to the limitations on the Switch[/p][p]console, we have decided for now we won’t be bringing any updates for the foreseeable future[/p][p]to said console. Please note this is the current plan; as we work through the road-map things[/p][p]may change but we will make sure to let you know.[/p][p][/p][p]Phase 1 - Critical Bug fixes and re-balancing:[/p][p]With our design vision guiding this first phase of the Dungeon Defenders: Awakened[/p][p]Renaissance project, we are focusing on eliminating the most critical game-breaking issues[/p][p]that disrupt progression, trading, and the overall flow of the game. Right now, several factors[/p][p]make the experience feel too easy and unbalanced, and Phase One is all about restoring[/p][p]challenge, stability, and integrity to the core gameplay. Today’s update marks a big step forward[/p][p]in that effort, as we have made meaningful progress in fixing major glitches and improving[/p][p]overall stability. While many issues have been resolved, a few key bugs remain on our radar[/p][p]and are currently being worked on for the next update. It has come to our attention that there[/p][p]may be a duplication glitch related to trading, and we are moving quickly to investigate and[/p][p]resolve it since it has a major impact on progression and the in-game economy. We are also[/p][p]aware of a crash related to dropping runes; while the crash itself has been resolved, rune loot[/p][p]drops from enemies will stay temporarily disabled until we can safely restore them in a future[/p][p]update. Phase One lays the groundwork for the rest of this project, ensuring the game feels[/p][p]stable, fair, and rewarding again. Once these core issues are fully addressed, we will move on[/p][p]to Phase Two, where we will begin building on that foundation with new systems and balance[/p][p]improvements.[/p][p][/p][p]Phase 2: Further Investigation into game re-balances:[/p][p]In phase 2 we will look into re-balancing the game almost entirely, adjusting all heroes,[/p][p]towers, gear, and pets as needed to improve the game’s overall health. We will also focus on[/p][p]quality of life changes to improve the experience for players.[/p][p][/p][p]Phase 3: Game Mode rework:[/p][p]In the current state there is little to no incentive to play the other modes outside of[/p][p]survival and mixmode. In this phase we would like to focus on each of the game modes and dial[/p][p]them in and give them a purpose and a reason to be played. Enemy scaling, better rewards,[/p][p]and quality of life improvements to the modes are all potential changes.[/p][p]Phase 4: Dev Promises, Tavern Updates, Console Updates, & adding steam deck support[/p][p]Once we improve DD:A’s experience, we can look into fulfilling promises made by the[/p][p]previous development team, bringing Xbox & PlayStation console versions, and looking into[/p][p]4-player split-screen and updating the tavern to allow more customization. This Phase will be the[/p][p]final phase before adding new maps and DLC content.[/p][p][/p][p]Phase 5: New Content[/p][p]As most will remember, new content for Dungeon Defenders: Awakened was promised[/p][p]for free. While this was a good-spirited monetization model, to support future updates DD:A will[/p][p]have to move towards a paid monetization model inline with DD1, following your suggestions in[/p][p]the Dungeon Defenders Discord server. The base game will include all things currently released[/p][p]and future updates will be purchasable.[/p][p][/p][p]Patch Notes:
[/p][p]General Updates:[/p][p]With today’s update, we’ve made significant progress toward fixing several[/p][p]game-breaking glitches and improving game-play balance. Sand Keepers on Forsaken Temple[/p][p]now have a minimum movement speed of 6, allowing them to move much faster and provide a[/p][p]more dynamic challenge. Forsaken Temple Rifted Boss Weapons now have a much higher stat[/p][p]quality bound of 60, increasing their potential rolls and overall[/p][p]Armor, Weapon, and Accessory changes:
[/p][p]We’ve adjusted gear bonuses to make early-game progression more meaningful and[/p][p]late-game loot feel special. Bonus Item Effects on gear of rarities Rare - Transcendent have[/p][p]been removed. Early on, these effects were giving players too much power, making the game[/p][p]feel too easy with so many stats and effects stacked early. Godly equipment now gets 1 bonus[/p][p]instead of 2, Supreme equipment gets 2 bonus instead of 3, and rarities beyond Supreme[/p][p](when added) will roll with 3 item effects. Set bonuses on main-hand and off-hand weapons will[/p][p]follow a similar progression, dropping at Godly and higher. Pets are not affected by this change[/p][p]at the moment.
[/p][p]Stat changes:[/p][p]The total number of skill points has been decreased to 1385, with the last 10 levels[/p][p]granting 40 skill points per level. This aligns the maximum base stat value more closely with[/p][p]DD1, lowering the overall early-game power and making progression feel more balanced.
[/p][p]Boss Changes:
[/p][p]1. Demon lord:[/p][p][/p][p]The Demon Lord has been too punishing early in the game due to low health.[/p][p]We’ve adjusted him as follows:
[/p][p]● Base attack power decreased from 63 to 40[/p][p]● Shock-wave damage decreased from 53 to 50 [/p][p][/p][p]2. Goblin Mech:[/p][p][/p][p]Players were able to cheese the Goblin Mech by standing on its spawn point. To[/p][p]fix this:[/p][p][/p][p]● Added a kill box beneath the boss to prevent players from exploiting the[/p][p]spawn point[/p][p][/p][p]3. Ancient Dragon:[/p][p][/p][p]Manna-bomb now hits the Ancient Dragon.[/p][p][/p][p]4. Lycan King:[/p][p][/p][p]The Lycan King fight has been reworked to feel challenging and rewarding for the[/p][p]first piece of Arcanist gear and some of the best weapons in the game. Changes[/p][p]include:[/p][p]● Fixed the “stuck and killed” exploit, and howling state stuck exploit[/p][p]● Increased damage reduction during Howling state by 500%[/p][p]● Disabled player collision with the boss to prevent throwing him under the[/p][p]map[/p][p]● Increased movement speed in lured state from 1.25 to 5 and in fleeing[/p][p]state from 1 to 8[/p][p]● Increased damage resistance while fleeing from -75 to -0.95[/p][p]● AoE Howl changes:[/p][p]● Damage is now multiplicative (scalar 2.5)[/p][p]● Attack rate buff increased by 50%[/p][p]● Buff duration increased from 5 s to 17.5 s[/p][p]● Damage reduction from player attacks 50%[/p][p]● Movement speed buff 1000%[/p][p]● Boss stun mechanics now allow the player to deal 50% more damage[/p][p]● Stalking mode adjustments:[/p][p]● Movement speed increased by 50%[/p][p]● Stalking swipe cooldown reduced from 3s to 2s[/p][p]● Single swipe cooldown coefficient decreased from 1 to 0.95[/p][p]● Howling state now applies Poison DoT that disappears in lured state[/p][p]● Bomb timer increased from 15 s to 25 s and updated in U.I[/p][p]● Added Lapis Gemstone pet to Act 4 Survival reward[/p][p][/p][p]5. Dune Eater:[/p][p][/p][p]The Forsaken Temple map has been reworked for a more rewarding experience:[/p][p]● Added Arcanist Gloves to the end loot chest of Survival and Mixed Mode[/p][p]● Added Topaz Gemstone pet to Survival reward loot table[/p][p]● Players can no longer target Dune Eater while it is under the lake, forcing[/p][p][/p][p]Guardian changes:[/p][p][/p][p]The Guardian has been re-balanced to make Divine Protection more tactical and engaging.[/p][p]● Cool-down on Divine Protection increased to 7 seconds (up from 1)[/p][p]● Divine Protection now consumes 25 ability manna per second (up from 16)[/p][p]● While active, the Guardian now takes 25% of the damage that allies[/p][p]inside the circle receive[/p][p]● Shield Slam maximum range increased from 500 to 1000[/p][p]● Shield Slam maximum charge time is now 0.5 seconds[/p][p]● Shield Slam cool-down set to 2 seconds[/p][p]● Shield Slam scalar increased from 1 to 2.5[/p][p]● Shield Slam now applies a 4-second stun[/p][p][/p][p]Warden Changes:[/p][p][/p][p]The Warden has received a series of improvements to make their abilities feel faster and more[/p][p]rewarding.[/p][p]● Sprout cool-down reduced from 5 s to 3 s[/p][p]● Sprout damage coefficient increased from 1 to 2.5[/p][p]● Sprout pickup range increased from 300 to 750[/p][p]● Sprout cast time reduced from 3 s to 1.5 s [/p][p]● Pure Sprout now applies a 15% buff to the player when picked up[/p][p]● Wrath Sprout now doubles player speed, increases damage by 35%, and[/p][p]adds 15% damage resistance[/p][p]● Shroom Circle max range increased from 1000 to 5000[/p][p]● Shroom Circle cool-down reduced to 7 seconds[/p][p]● Shroom Circle Wrath damage coefficient increased from 1 to 1.5[/p][p]● Coefficient doubled when Wrath Stun is active[/p][p]● Sludge damage coefficient increased to 1[/p][p]● Sludge Slow duration increased to 3.5 seconds[/p][p][/p][p]Summoner Changes:[/p][p]● Pet-boost had its coefficient increased from 1 to 1.5.[/p][p][/p][p]Rouge Changes:[/p][p]● Stealth buff post-multiplicative additive bonus decreased to 0.1 (down[/p][p]from 0.2)[/p][p]● Rip State damage coefficient decreased from 1 to 0.75[/p][p][/p][p]Pets:[/p][p][/p][p]A major focus of this update is pets. Many new pets have been added for players to[/p][p]collect, and existing pets will be re-balanced in a future update. Highlights include:[/p][p]● Lapis Gemstone: Added to the Act 4 Survival reward upon defeating the[/p][p]Lycan King. This buff pet is similar to the Obsidian Gemstone but provides[/p][p]a small reduction to enemy damage for a short duration on your next[/p][p]attack, making it a strategic addition for tougher fights.[/p][p]● Topaz Gemstone: Added to the Forsaken Temple Survival and Mixed[/p][p]Mode end loot chest after defeating the Dune Eater. This pet functions[/p][p]similarly to other buff pets, giving nearby allies a temporary boost to[/p][p]movement speed and attack rate, helping players navigate the[/p][p]challenging fight more effectively.[/p][p][/p][p]Additional updates:[/p][p]● New drops in Lost Metropolis, Alchemical Laboratory, Ancient Mines,[/p][p]Ramparts, Throne Room, Royal Guardians, Promenade, Arcane Library,[/p][p]Tornado Valley, Tornado Highlands, and The Mill[/p][p]● Golden pets now drop on all maps at wave 100 of Rifted Survival[/p][p]● Rifted and Golden pets have been re-balanced with updated Hero Point[/p][p]scalars, Pet Ability Damage, Vitality, and Attack Rates[/p][p]● Notable additions: Gold Griffin, Gold MistaMine, Gold SteamBot, Gold[/p][p]Little Wizard, Gold Etherian Ancient, Gold Genie, Gold Lycan Prince,[/p][p]Gold mini Demon Lord, and many more[/p][p]● The Golden and Rifted Ramster Can each have a 10%[/p][p]chance to drop from Halloween Ramparts.[/p][p]● The Obsidian Gemstone has been improved to apply its Sunder Armor[/p][p]effect for 6 seconds (up from 3), with a cool-down of 4 seconds (down[/p][p]from 8).[/p][p]● All fairies heal for much more[/p][p]Note: Some tool-tips are incorrect for new pets; this will be fixed in the next[/p][p]patch[/p][p][/p][p]Tower and Defense Changes:[/p][p][/p][p]We’ve re-balanced many of the early-game defenses and adjusted their ordering to better reflect their intended power levels and the order in which they unlock. These adjustments were made to improve early-game progression and make each character’s defenses feel more natural and rewarding. As a result of these changes, if one of your defenses was moved to a new position, your rifted set will no longer correspond to that same defense. We understand this may cause some frustration, but it’s a necessary step toward creating a more consistent and enjoyable experience across all heroes. Please note that the updated defense order and DU adjustments are not yet reflected in the UI and will be corrected in the next patch.[/p][p][/p][p]● Empowering Shrine is now Defense 5[/p][p]● Holy Cannon is now Defense 2[/p][p]● Obelisk is now Defense 3[/p][p]● Owl is now Defense 4, costing 4 DU[/p][p]● Holy Bulwark is now 3 DU[/p][p]● Poison Dart Tower is now 3 DU and costs 80 manna[/p]

• [p]The Healing Aura has been significantly improved. Healing output increased by a factor of 8, making it a much stronger choice for the Lycan King fight and other challenging encounters.[/p]

[p]● Spider Minion Webbed Effect now applies 1.25× damage (down from 2×)[/p][p]● Siren Minion now costs 90 manna and is Defense 4[/p][p]● Dark Mage Minion is now Defense 3, costs 80 manna, and uses 3 DU[/p][p]● Ogre Minion DU cost reduced to 120 DU[/p][p]● Squire Blockade is now 2 DU[/p][p]● Sniper Cannon is now Defense 2, costs 80 manna, and uses 4 DU[/p][p]● Harpoon Tower is now Defense 4[/p][p]● Bowling Ball Tower is now Defense 3, costs 70 manna, and uses 4 DU[/p][p]● Shroomy Pet is now Defense 2, costs 60 manna, and uses 1 DU[/p][p]● Wisp Den is now Defense 3, using 3 DU[/p][p]● Beaming Blossom is now Defense 4, using 4 DU[/p][p]● Sludge Launcher is now Defense 5, costing 100 manna[/p][p]● Overclock Beam Rune coefficient decreased to 0.5, reducing the bonus[/p][p]damage from the rune by half[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p]Conclusion:[/p][p][/p][p]With today’s update, we’re excited to introduce the developers behind the Community[/p][p]Development Team and share a glimpse of what’s ahead for Dungeon Defenders: Awakened.[/p][p]This update marks the first of many and serves as a “how-to” for pushing a build live, officially[/p][p]beginning a new era for the game, the DD:A Renaissance. We hope this update excites you and[/p][p]invites you to join us on this journey by cheering us on, sharing your feedback, and helping us[/p][p]shape the future of the game. Thank you for trusting us to deliver meaningful updates and[/p][p]improvements. If you would like to support the Community Development Team directly, consider[/p][p]purchasing existing cosmetic costumes and joining the official Dungeon Defenders Discord[/p][p]server, where you can connect with us and the wider community as we continue building the[/p][p]DD:A Renaissance together.[/p][p][/p][p]Until Next Time,[/p][p]The Community Development Team[/p]

[h2]DoE is Live on Kickstarter![/h2]
Defenders! We're proud to announce the Defenders of Etheria Kickstarter campaign is LIVE until May 18th!

By backing the game on Kickstarter, you can take advantage of early-bird discounts, franchise-wide game and DLC bundles and earn backer-exclusive rewards for both Defenders of Etheria AND Dungeon Defenders 2!

Miss our original announcement? Not to worry, we've included a short recap below, and you can find additional information on our Kickstarter page!

[h2]What is Defenders of Etheria?[/h2]
It’s about time the Old One’s Army played defense! Enraged by the death of his father at the hands of the Harbinger, the Prince of Dragonfall has enlisted Etheria’s mightiest heroes to lead a crusade against the Old One’s Army.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Defenders of Etheria won’t be your traditional tower-defense game (not that Dungeon Defenders was very traditional to begin with), but a cooperative, rogue-lite bullet-heaven with all the added charm and stoicism of your favorite mostly-silent protagonists!

[h2]Wishlist DoE on Steam![/h2]
Looking for other ways to support Defenders of Etheria? By wishlisting us on Steam, you can help us gain additional visibility for the game while receiving notifications regarding updates and availability. It’s a win-win!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2647870/Defenders_of_Etheria/

[h2]Join the Discussion![/h2]
You can follow the progress of Defenders of Etheria by following us on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Twitch! Additionally, you can join the Official Dungeon Defenders Discord, or participate in the community-driven Dungeon Defenders Reddit.

For Etheria!