This is your brain on Grim Misadventures. For your next dose, we have prepared a tantalizing preview of everything in store for v1.3.2.0, our next major content update!
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The second Fangs of Asterkarn content update prominently features its first Roguelike Dungeon. Unlike our past expansions, we are committed to releasing two this time around! But that’s only the beginning of the v1.3.2.0 feature list. We have many exciting things in store, with more ways to enjoy the loot hunt, and new rewards to collect!
As teased in the Kurn faction storyline, Chieftain Snarltooth of the Gurr tribe will call upon the blood pact with the Kurn and demand that they join the tribe in their march upon Drang’Gal Fortress, the ancestral homeland of the dranghouls.
There, the Bloodbound influence has taken root, gathering the disparate dranghoul tribes and tainting their traditions with promises of power and carnage. Forgotten bones stir as the land weeps with chthonic corruption and old stones crack and splinter as unnatural obsidian formations burst forth.
You did not think the descendants of the Martok clan would be so easily broken, did you?
If you’ve been around the block in Grim Dawn, you know the drill by now. Once you have defeated the gatekeeper and the gates close behind you, you will have but one life to contend with the forces within (a moot threat for the hardcore players out there, I know). Inside, foes both familiar and new will be eager to stomp you into the ground, or (un)die trying.
This time around though, there will be an additional layer to the madness. A tantalizing set of massive drums stands just outside the gates. Should you figure out how to play them, you will rally your foes and summon their true strength, for additional difficulty and rewards.
Only the most fine-tuned builds will wish to tackle this optional challenge in Ascendant mode, but you will have the means to activate it on any difficulty.
Since we are revisiting Roguelike Dungeons in this update, we thought it would be worth spicing up not just the new content, but also revisit the old. For this purpose, we have all new Reliquaries!
Reliquaries are a new type of chest, found only inside Roguelike Dungeons, that can be opened using special Reliquary Keys. Those can drop everywhere inside the dungeon, but notably bosses will Not drop them. Your best bet will be to slaughter as many enemies as possible. But beware: Reliquary Keys are fleeting and maintain their integrity only inside the dungeon itself. If you exit or die, they will be lost. So you will wish to use them before leaving.
Reliquaries will come in three categories: Gilded, Opulent, and Ancient. Within each type of chest, you will find different rewards. So depending on whether you are targeting crafting materials, Monster Infrequents, or Legendaries, you will wish to open different ones. Notably, each roguelike dungeon favors different materials and Monster Infrequents, so you can be even more selective in your hunt for loot.
With the introduction of Reliquaries, we will be removing Monster Infrequents from the Roguelike Dungeon vendors. While finding a well rolled item at the merchant was fun, the optimal way of using them was to exploit an unintuitive mechanic where you would reload the area repeatedly in the hopes of rerolling the merchant’s inventory until they had something decent. This not only went against the spirit of the game but was also incredibly jank. Merchants will continue to sell their assortment of blueprints and Components.
Yes, we’ve had Awakened Epics, but what about Awakened Relics? You have asked, and we have answered. Coming alongside another fresh batch of Awakened Epics in v1.3.2.0, we will also be revisiting 10 Transcendent Relics and bringing them up to Mythical status.
You have the power… of more options!
We have been reading your feedback that certain ways to play are becoming too dominant in your endgame hunt. With the introduction of Ascended affixes, it is natural that the new materials are front and center in your pursuits. As Fangs of Asterkarn is all about empowering you to enjoy the game the way you want, we are revisiting how you acquire Ashes of Awakening and Soul Echoes.
First, you will find that even regular Monster Totems and Treasure Troves will have a chance to drop Ashes of Awakening in Ascendant mode, but their upgraded Tempest/Resplendent versions will be even more rewarding. Similarly, Ascendant’s Spoils, the Ascendant mode chests found inside Roguelike Dungeons, will drop more Ashes of Awakening.
Voidmarked chests, a staple of the new mode, will become much more variable, with three new monster groups added to the mix: Eldritch, Celestial, and Undead. Each session, the game will roll which group will become dominant, but there will always be a chance of encountering the other ambushers. Ghol’Zoth the Reflective will no longer be such a dependable nightmare. Instead, all new horrors will fill you with dread with every chest you open!
While we want Ascendant mode to be the premier source of the new materials, we do not want to leave existing content in the dust. The Crucible will have its stash of Ashes of Awakening and Soul Echoes restocked for those capable of conquering its 200th wave, particularly if you brave the extra spawns.
Similarly, clearing Shard 32 or higher in the Shattered Realm will have its material rewards bumped as well.
v1.3.1.2, currently nearing the end of its short public playtest, is a small update focused on bug fixing and rebalancing potion modifiers, but with v1.3.2.0 we will be making our next major balance pass. We will be revisiting old abilities, constellations, and items to bring them up to speed in the era of Fangs of Asterkarn.
If you have not already been posting your feedback, we are always reading!
V1.3.1.2 is releasing this week, and we are still hard at work on bringing you everything we listed above. We expect the v1.3.2.0 public playtest to begin in December, with the update releasing live for everybody in early 2027. Keep your eyes on the Public Playtest forum for details!
Like knowing what is coming up next for Grim Dawn? Grim Misadventures will return following the release of v1.3.2.0!
