Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Gunfire Games Cindy To (Game and Level Designer) and Ben Cureton (Lead Gameplay Designer) about the upcoming Remnant 2 – The Dark Horizon DLC. As the final expansion for Remnant 2, this DLC introduces the new Warden archetype, Boss Rush mode, and various quality-of-life improvements—all crafted to make one of my favorite games even better.
Seeing what Gunfire Games has planned already has me geeking out, though it is bittersweet knowing this DLC also marks the end of Remnant 2. Still, with everything that’s coming, both veterans and newcomers alike will have plenty to keep them engaged for years to come.
Enough chit-chat. Here’s a glimpse of what awaits us in Remnant 2 – The Dark Horizon.
Say Hello To The Warden
The Warden is the new archetype being introduced in Remnant 2 – The Dark Horizon, and it’s shaping up to be a fascinating class. While it’s known that the Warden comes with a drone companion, during this preview, I got an extended look at what it has to offer. Trust me when I say that this archetype is destined to become a fan favorite, especially for players who enjoy a support role or those who excel at minimizing incoming damage.
Right off the bat, the Warden class starts with the Plasma Cutter, a weapon from the base game that’s usually RNG-based. If you’ve been grinding to get your hands on it, the Warden has you covered—no more wasting time. The class also comes equipped with an upgraded, remodeled version of the Scythe and a new pistol called the Repair Tool. While the Repair Tool can deal damage, it truly shines by allowing players to heal from a distance, and it even features a slick reload animation. You’ll be able to heal everything with this weapon—other characters, companions, and more. Plus, it’s not a special weapon, meaning it can be outfitted with both a modification and a mutator, which is fantastic news. If you ever wanted to heal your buddies from a distance or wanted to save them from an “Oh Crap” moment, this could be that.
However, the biggest standout in the Warden’s toolkit is its drone, which can either provide players with a shield or deal extra damage. The Warden also has a passive ability that changes depending on which skill is selected. During the preview, I got to see two of these skills in action: the Shield Drone, which deploys a protective barrier on whoever it’s targeting, and the Combat Drone, which boosts your damage output. The potential for interesting synergies with this drone is exciting, and I can already see it pairing well with the Engineer archetype.
Sadly, the Gunfire Games weren’t very forthcoming about how we get access to the Warden archetype, and I suppose that’s fair. I know that they love seeing the Remnant 2 community working together to figure things out, which explains why.
No More Cycling Through Massive Item Lists
One of the biggest complaints about Remnant 2—and, to be fair, most Soulslike games—is the overwhelming amount of gear to collect. Trying to build the perfect loadout or track down a specific piece of equipment in a sea of items can be a huge pain. However, it seems Gunfire Games has come up with a worthwhile solution: a new filtering system—at least for the rings and talismans.
With the upcoming update, players will be able to filter rings and talismans by specific attributes, making it easy to highlight exactly what they’re looking for. Let’s say you want a ring or talisman of gear that reduces damage, but also provides support options. You simply select those attributes and once filtered, you’ll be shown a list of items that match your criteria. This is a massive improvement over having to scroll through hundreds of items, and when I saw it during my Remnant 2 – The Dark Horizon hands-off preview, I geeked out.
For someone like me who’s collected an absurd amount of stuff, this feature will be a godsend. I can only hope that other Action RPG and Soulslike developers take note and copy the hell out of it. Yes, I’m looking at you, Fromsoft!
Dark Horizon Adds Lots of Changes and Verticality To N’Erud
With the addition of the upcoming DLC, several changes have been made to N’Erud—a location I’ve previously gone on record as saying was my least favorite in Remnant 2. Fortunately, Gunfire Games has listened to player feedback and worked to make N’Erud more engaging, and from what I saw in my preview, it looks like they’ve succeeded. The most notable change? Verticality—lots of verticality.
Upon loading into the DLC, I was greeted by a transformed N’Erud. Instead of the flat, dense environment it used to be, there’s now an entirely new area to explore, featuring much more elevation and variety. When I asked whether this would affect the frequency of enemy attacks, I was told that the added verticality would help break up the flow of combat, making the experience feel less repetitive.
I was shown a location that looked way different than the N’Erud I was used to, with vibrant hues swirling overhead, and the landscape featured new vegetation and flowers. I was only shown a small portion before the preview ended, but the excitement from the developers about what they’ve crafted was contagious—I couldn’t help but get excited too.
If you recall from the trailer for the new DLC, there was mention of a glider—it’s the same glider players will use to descend into the new area. I only got a brief look at how the glider works, but one important detail was emphasized: you’ll need both hands to use it, which leaves you defenseless. So, you’ll want to avoid using it if enemies are nearby.
There are plenty of new secrets to discover, some seemingly hidden in plain sight. Gunfire Games was careful not to reveal too much, and what little they did show has me already thinking about how we’ll solve the mysteries ahead.
The Fragment System Gets A Face Lift
One of the biggest frustrations for high-level players in Remnant 2 has been the Relic Fragment system. Once you reach the maximum number of fragments, any additional ones you collect become useless. Thankfully, Gunfire Games has given this system some much-needed attention, streamlining it and adding extra utility for players.
The layout has been completely revamped, with Relic Fragments now segmented by type, making it much easier to choose which ones you want in play at any given time. Additionally, Relic Fragments have been decoupled from the Dragon Heart, which was always a hassle, in my honest opinion. Previously, swapping out the Dragon Heart relic meant you had to fiddle with the Relic Fragments as well—but after this update, that’s a thing of the past.
If I remember correctly, around 14 redundant Relic Fragments have been removed, but 20 new ones are being added to take their place. This rework should make the system far more intuitive and rewarding for players moving forward.
That’s not all—Gunfire Games has also introduced a new system called Prisms. You might have noticed this in the Remnant 2 trailer that dropped a week or so ago. The Prism system is essentially an extra layer of providing more buffs that offer players even more ways to enhance their builds.
For players sitting on an abundance of Relic Fragments, you can now feed those into a Prism, leveling it up in the process. Once leveled, the Prism will unlock a selection of bonuses that can be slotted in, stacking with your currently equipped fragments. What’s great is that these bonuses are permanent—meaning even if you swap out your fragments, the Prism bonuses will remain active. There are up to five different Prisms to level up, giving players a lot of flexibility in customizing their end-game builds.
There’s more to the Relic Fragment and Prism system, but I don’t want to spoil it all for you.
Rushing Those Bosses
Initially, when Gunfire Games announced the Boss Rush mode for Remnant 2, I assumed it would be a straightforward sequence of fighting and defeating one boss after another. However, it turns out the mode is much more complex. It combines elements of horde, survival, and traditional boss rush modes, and can be tackled solo or with other players across three difficulty levels: Triple Threat (3 bosses), Trial by Fire (7 bosses), and The Gauntlet (18 bosses).
Once you choose your mode and difficulty, you’re dropped into a world where you’ll see a taskbar prompting you to complete objectives like “kill enemies” to fill it up. Completing these tasks triggers a challenge from an Aberration. Defeat it, and you’ll get a brief window to heal, swap gear, and prepare for the next challenge. There’s also a buff highlighted on the map, which grants random abilities reminiscent of roguelike games.
After defeating a boss, you’ll be presented with a summary screen detailing your performance. This screen will show your time, the number of bosses defeated, difficulty level, enemies killed, damage taken, and more. From there, you can choose to continue or end your session based on your preference.
The great thing about the Boss Rush mode is that it caters to both newcomers and veterans. All bosses drop loot from the same pool as in campaign or adventure modes, which is perfect for players just starting or veterans who are out there farming for specific gear. Gunfire Games wants players to fully engage with this new mode, offering an opportunity to compete against friends or other players to see who can achieve the best results.
There’s still plenty more to uncover that I haven’t touched on, and Gunfire Games seemed eager to share even more about The Dark Horizon, though they held back on some details. This makes the wait for the DLC’s release on September 24, 2024, even more torturous.
Remnant 2 – The Dark Horizon will launch on September 24, 2024, for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. It will be available as part of the Remnant 2 Ultimate Edition or for $9.99.
In the meantime, be sure to check out our reviews of Remnant 2, Remnant 2 – The Forgotten Kingdom, and Remnant 2 – The Awakened King.
