11 bit studios has released a brand-new gameplay trailer for Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault during the Triple-I Initiative showcase today.
The gameplay trailer showed off the highly-anticipated sequel's new upgraded 3D graphics in action packed combat sequences juxtaposed with cozy shopkeeping before closing out with a new Summer 2025 release window.
11 bit studios has hit the deck hard in recent months with recently released hits The Thaumaturge, Indika, Frostpunk 2, and Creatures of Ava. The Polish publisher and indie studio has shown no signs of slowing down, partnering with The Outer Zone to publish the upcoming roguelike deck builder Death Howl and Digital Sun to publish Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault.
Digital Sun previously paired up with 11 bit studios to release the first Moonlighter in 2018. Moonlighter is a top-down pixel action adventure RPG where players become a young adventuring merchant named Will. By day, Will runs a small shop in his village, but come nightfall, he takes to a dangerous excavation site to explore and plunder for new wares.
Following Moonlighter's initial release, Digital Sun and 11 bit studios worked tirelessly updating the game and releasing post-launch content. However, it has been several years since Moonlighter launched, and a sequel was looking unlikely.
Right up until late 2024, when Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault was announced with a trailer that showed the game series was receiving a major glow-up. Moonlighter shed its top-down pixel aesthetic for a more isometric camera angle and a 3D art style.
“The original Moonlighter was a pivotal moment for us, marking the growth of Digital Sun as a team. Five years on, Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault showcases everything we’ve learned along the way. We’re channeling all our craftsmanship into creating a game that’s not just better, but brimming with even more charm in every detail”, said Javier Gimenez, Digital Sun CEO.
With Moonlighter 2, Will's former village and shop are also a thing of the past. Now, the plucky adventurer and his companions will need to explore the vaults of Tresna, a new village somewhere within a mysterious dimension. Of course, new vaults mean new wares for Will to take back to his shop.
Just as with Moonlighter 1, Moonlighter 2 will see players selling their dungeon loot and investing in the local townspeople to improve the economy, unlocking new goods and upgrades for Will so that he can explore even further.
Initially, players only had a broad 2025 release window, but that has now been narrowed down. When the sun gets to be too much, we can all cool off in the dungeons of Tresna when Moonlighter 2 launches on Xbox and PC, as well as Xbox Game Pass on day one this summer.
