Things have been fairly quiet on the Spelunky 2 front since it was announced in 2017, but developer Derek Yu said earlier this year that a release date announcement was getting "closer and closer." Today he delivered the goods, announcing during Sony's State of Play livestream that the game will be out on September 15.
"I designed the world of Spelunky 2 to feel much more rich and dynamic than Spelunky 1," Yu said during the stream. "It's going to feel a lot more full. Players will be able to explore and interact with it in lots of new ways."
That includes things like new characters who may help or hinder you, an "expanded" shopping experience, rideable turkeys—we all need more rideable turkeys in our lives—and online multiplayer support. The shop will be a more nuanced space for spending and calamity, as the trailer showed a pair of six-sided dice the player can roll to receive a reward (or punishment), perhaps a nod to Gunstar Heroes. Also there's a Clone Gun, which was used in the gameplay footage to replicate dogs. The dream.
One detail that stood out to me in the video was Yu's mention that you'll be "building an in-game family and community" (seen above) as you go on runs and discover new characters. Each character you unlock seems to permanently occupy a little corner of an in-game hub. Maybe you can bring them gifts? Yu's reference to this as a "family" makes it seem like more than an animated display case, but potentially something interactive.
The release date trailer only makes mention of the PlayStation 4 version of the game, and Mossmouth confirmed on Twitter shortly after the end of the State of Play event that we'll have to wait a little longer for it to arrive on PC. We'll let you know when that date is locked down.
The Steam version of Spelunky 2 will come out shortly after PS4! We'll need a little extra time to iron out online multiplayer on PC. Release date for that soon!After Steam, we'll look into other platforms. We are excited for as many people to play as possible. :)August 6, 2020
