Is Darkest Dungeon multiplayer?

Darkest Dungeon is a grim monster-slaying dungeon crawler. It offers in-depth turn-based combat and a rich story. If you are wondering if it has any multiplayer option, then there is good news for you. Yes, Darkest Dungeon has multiplayer. The PvP feature was introduced in The Butcher's Circus DLC, released in 2020.

Butcher’s Circus was a free DLC for the game. There were even no microtransactions introduced in the DLC. The PvP in the Darkest Dungeon does not affect the main campaign. which means heroes who perished in PvP will still be available in the offline mode.

In this article, we will be going through the strategies and details about the PvP in Darkest Dungeon. FYI, there is no multiplayer in Darkest Dungeon 2 yet.

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How is the Darkest Dungeon multiplayer mode?

Everything you need to know about the PvP (Image via Red Hook Studios)

In Darkest Dungeon, players need to compose a team of four heroes to take on powerful eldritch monsters as they dive into a dark and grim dungeon. What’s most unique about Darkest Dungeon is the team positions.

Instead of the traditional vertical team positions in turn-based combat games, DD offers a horizontal perspective. In this composition, teams need to get rid of the enemy frontline to close fight the heroes placed on the backlines. However, ranged and some special AoE attacks are exceptions.

The PvP introduced in The Butcher’s Circus follows the same rules. In the PvP mode, players need to bring their team of four heroes and battle others’ teams. The skills and abilities of the heroes are the same in both offline and online modes. The results in the PvP mode don’t affect the progression of the offline campaign or the heroes’ conditions.

The PvP mode features a global leaderboard, which players can climb with each consecutive win in the arena. Climbing higher in the leaderboard offers rewards banners and experience. There are trinkets and other items in the game that can in found in the offline mode, and used for customizing team stats and skills in the PvP mode.

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Strategies for PvP in the Darkest Dungeon

At the start, players need to choose heroes from the following list (heroes introduced in certain DLCs will be exclusive to those with ownership of the said DLCs):

• Abomination
• Antiquarian
• Arbalest
• Bounty Hunter
• Crusader
• Grave Robber
• Hellion
• Highwayman
• Houndmaster
• Jester
• Leper
• Man-at-Arms
• Occultist
• Plague Doctor
• Vestal

Heros that are exclusive to certain DLCs:

• Flagellant
• Musketeer
• Shieldbreaker

The meta in The Darkest Dungeon shifts very frequently. However, the best strategy to dominate the multiplayer is to always be very conscious about the team composition. It is always advised to make a balanced roster. Leaning towards only damage or taking characters with only support skills can be fatal.

Use trinkets and equipment strategically to give your team an upper hand.