It is hard for even the best indie games to stand out from the crowd, but in 2018 one little roguelike called Moonlighter managed to do just that. Besides evoking some 2D Zelda vibes, it mashed up its dungeon crawling with a shop sim where you needed to price, sell, and manage your shop between runs in the dungeon to collect more treasures to sell. Much like Ninja Gaiden 4 and Onimusha: Way of the Sword, we had no idea a sequel was on the way until Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault was announced. Now that it is, it has become one of our most anticipated upcoming video games. Let’s grab our oversized backpacks and head into the dungeon to see what nuggets of information we can about Moonlighter 2.
For more indie and AAA releases we’re excited for, check out our lists of upcoming PS5 games, upcoming Xbox Series X games, and upcoming PC games.
Release window
For now, Moonlighter 2 only has a release window of 2025. We last got an update on the game at the end of February, so if it still doesn’t have a date, then it likely won’t be ready until the second half of the year if we had to guess.
Platforms
Moonlighter 2 will come to all major platforms save the Switch. It is announced for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. There is a chance it could come to the Switch 2, though.
Trailers
was announced with a quick trailer at the end of 2024. The most striking change here is that the game is no longer a 2D pixel art game but 3D isometric game. We will once again take control of Will and the villagers from the first game who have become stranded in a new dimension. Your new hub will be the village of Tresna that is in dire need of restoration and upgrades while you attempt to find a way back home.
The dungeons this time around will be various vaults full of loot and monsters.
Another brief teaser was shown during the ID@Xbox showcase in February 2025. This trailer gave us a quick look at some of the new villagers we will be able to interact with, but mainly focused on the combat. The story was always present in Moonlighter, but never the main focus so we suspect the sequel will also be more mechanics-driven.
Gameplay
We already mentioned how Moonlighter 2 will shift to a 3D art style, but the gameplay loop doesn’t seem to be as big of a departure. You will still spend your days setting up your shop, haggling with customers, and spending your cash to upgrade the town. By night, you will venture into the vaults to fight enemies, collect loot, and arrange your relics within your bag for maximum effect. The further you make it into a vault, the more valuable the loot but more dangerous the foes.
New additions we see are some new weapons, unlocking upgrades, and a greater variety in enemies and environments. You will also be able to decorate your shop to hopefully draw in more customers. Verticality will be a factor here, but moving and dodging appear to be your main tools.
Preorder
Without a release date, there are no preorder options for Moonlighter 2. That said, you can wishlist the game now on Steam and it is announced to be a day-one game on Game Pass so subscribers can play on release at no extra cost.
