Endless Legend 2 leaves early access on September 17

Endless Legend 2 will leave early access on September 17, developer Amplitude Studios and publisher Hooded Horse have announced. The 4X strategy sequel entered early access last year.

The 1.0 release adds the game's sixth and final major faction, the Sandshapers. Rock Paper Shotgun describes them as an ancient empire that remembers the sea-covered world of Saiadha as desert and seeks to terraform it back to that state.

Rogue Factions

Version 1.0 also introduces Rogue Factions, splinter groups that have broken away from the game's major societies while keeping their own quests, stories and strategic mechanics. Two arrive at launch.

• The Order of Zelevas, a conquest-focused offshoot of the Kin of Sheredyn.
• The Severed Claw, a Necrophage splinter that can only replace lost forces by enslaving defeated enemies.

Hooded Horse's announcement referred to these as the first two planned, which Rock Paper Shotgun reads as an indication that more Rogue Factions will follow after launch.

A community-built minor faction

A new minor faction, the starfish-like Mangrove of Harmony, arrives with its own hero, questline, recruitable units and population types. Amplitude developed it with art, lore and mechanical input from players through a community art contest, whose brief described the faction as providing bonuses to Dust, Food and Defense, with slow-growing but durable units. That brief also proposed a unique unit, the Colossus of Harmony, carrying a ranged Tendril Spear attack.

Amplitude has also added a new demo to Steam, where Endless Legend 2 had been without one for months. It includes the Kin of Sheredyn and the Last Lords as playable factions.

PC Gamer, which called the early access build "an incredible 4X" last year while reserving judgement on its combat, said it was waiting to see how far Amplitude has taken that side of the game after a year of changes.