The launch of Path of Exile 2 early access has capped off a magnificent year that began with Last Epoch and also saw the launch of the first Diablo 4 DLC, Vessel of Hatred. But as a rather delicious cherry atop the cake, Grim Dawn developer Crate Entertainment has unleashed a substantive update for its beloved dark fantasy ARPG. With its next expansion Fangs of Asterkarn still on the horizon, the new Grim Dawn update overhauls progression in several areas, which its developer promises “will tremendously reduce the grind for new players.”
Grim Dawn first launched in 2016 and remains one of the best games like Diablo that you might not have heard of. Developed in the engine of fellow ARPG Titan Quest, which itself is set to make a return in the near future, it’s still well worth checking out to this day, as its 93% positive Steam rating from nearly 80,000 user reviews will attest. Boasting a choice-driven story and a rewarding class system, It’s still in active development today, and the next adventure will take us into the mountains with Grim Dawn Fangs of Asterkarn.
You don’t need to wait until then to get started, however. Grim Dawn patch 1.2.1.3 has just launched, and makes a whole heap of changes, including numerous balance tweaks for many items, skills, and enemies. The most significant update, however – especially for new players – will be the adjustments to progression in the Shattered Realm and Crucible modes, which bring down the grind required and make them a much more approachable prospect.
The Shattered Realm, an endless dungeon introduced with the Forgotten Gods expansion, “has been squished by cosmic forces.” Levels have been rescaled, which means that rather than milestone checkpoints appearing every five shards (the individual areas comprising three zones and a boss fight), they’ll now appear every two. If you’re already playing, this won’t make much difference, but it will make it far easier for those new to the zone to progress to the stages suitable for your current build.
The Crucible arena mode, meanwhile, no longer requires you to unlock checkpoints every 50 levels in order to start there – you’ll be able to access them immediately, although you’ll still need to clear wave 100 on a given difficulty to unlock the ability to challenge the next. You’ll also no longer need tributes to start at a higher wave, but they’ll still be required if you want to restart or retry a Crucible run.
Beyond that comes a hefty list of balance adjustments. Skill Augment slots have been increased to six. The average speed of monsters, as well as the lowest speed they can be slowed to, has been dropped, and slow effects will be more pronounced. Armor Piercing has been reworked and is now 100% effective on all piercing weapons, but nonexistent on others.
As for item and class changes, there are almost too many to count, stretching across all the masteries (Grim Dawn’s class system). If you’re already in the know, you’ll definitely want to dig into the full patch notes courtesy of Crate Entertainment to see everything that’s changed in detail.
Grim Dawn version 1.2.1.3 is out now. The game is available to buy for $24.99 / £20.99 on Steam. It’s a great excuse to come back, or to try Grim Dawn out for the first time – so if you’re waiting for Path of Exile 2 early access to end before diving in but still fancy some holiday blasting, this might be the perfect alternative.
Alternatively, grab a few friends and try another of the best co-op games on PC, or get buildcrafting with some of the best RPGs you can play in 2024.
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