In a recent Steam post, the developer explained that “Gearbox has been the trusted publisher of Risk of Rain 2 for many years now, they have a love for Risk of Rain that matches our own and is the best fit for taking the franchise into the future.” While Hopoo is working on Risk of Rain Returns, Gearbox will “both develop and publish potential future titles in the series.”

There may be some concern among hardcore fans about whether the latter can do justice to the franchise. However, Hopoo revealed that Gearbox co-developed the Survivors of the Void expansion. It created the Aphelian Sanctuary and Siphoned Forest, along with the Void Jailers, all received very well.

In conclusion, the developer said, “We are ready to move on to new challenges and welcome the exciting and fresh ideas Gearbox will bring to Risk of Rain. Completing the console versions of Survivors of the Void remains a top priority for Gearbox, and we can’t wait to see what the future brings for Risk of Rain with them at the helm! We know the IP is in excellent hands.”

As for Risk of Rain Returns, it releases in 2023 for Nintendo Switch and PC. Check out the first details and screenshots here.

Some of the new stages include Aphelian Sanctuary with its waterfalls and the Siphoned Forest which allows for some impromptu ice skating. Of course, there are also new threats with nine new monsters, three bosses and two new Elite types to tackle. To even the odds, 14 new Void items, four new Lunar items, five new Equipment pieces and 18 new Normal items have been added.

The new Survivors also bring some interesting new play-styles, whether it’s the Railgunner and her long-range damage, or the Void Fiend who receives more powerful abilities as more corruption builds. There’s also a new mode, The Simulacrum, for those who want to test their mettle against endless waves of foes.

Risk of Rain 2: Survivors of the Void is out on PC but console players can look forward to in the coming days. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.

The Simulacrum is essentially endless with enemies gaining stronger as time goes on. The main objective is to survive though random mutators can come up in some waves. You may also have random Artifacts triggering for a round. Once a wave is complete, you can choose from three items and proceed on. A nice touch is that the safe zone where players fight in will move, thus allowing you to grab items from crates that were previously outside.

The Void Fiend is also interesting in this mode since Trespass provides a good means of damage avoidance while Flood and Void Corruption can do work on enemies clumped together. Risk of Rain 2: Survivors of the Void will be coming to PC first on March 1st, followed by other platforms later. Stay tuned for more details on the same in the coming weeks.

As a former Commando, the Void Fiend has been corrupted by the Void and gains new abilities in the process. Flood is a charged shot that decimates foes in an explosive radius while Trespass allows for teleporting a significant distance. Void Corruption allows for unleashing a powerful continuous beam on enemies and thankfully, one can teleport while using it to avoid damage.

For more information on the Void Fiend, check out the Dev Thoughts video below as well. Risk of Rain 2 is currently available for Xbox One, PS4, PC, Google Stadia and Nintendo Switch. Check out our official review for the base game here.

The Railgunner is most potent at long-range, capable of shooting down foes from first person with her rifle. Supercharger, her Ultimate, unleashes a large beam capable of eradicating multiple foes in a single line. If overwhelmed by enemies, she can lay down a Concussion Device which both knocks away enemies and herself, which can serve as a potent movement ability.

It also appears that the Railgunner can run and gun with bullets that automatically seek out targets but their damage won’t be nearly as high as the long-range snipes. Survivors of the Void will cost $15 but PC players can pick it up for $9.75 at launch. For more details and gameplay for the class, check out the Dev Thoughts video below.

The Simulacrum is a wave-based arena mode with both single and multiplayer support. Any Artifacts the player has unlocked can be used within it. Otherwise, the mode is endless as players battle to survive for as long as possible as monsters increase in difficulty. Along with random mutators for some waves and random Artifacts that activate for a round, there’s a boss fight on every fifth wave.

Completing a wave, a Void Potential is created which allows for choosing between three items. You’ll also encounter item crates and other things but that means going beyond the safe zone and incurring damage. After each boss, the safe zone will move so players can use that chance to open crates.

Overall, it’s looking to be a spicy new addition for those seeking quick action and veterans wanting a challenge. Stay tuned for more details on Survivors of the Void in the coming months.