There’s an updated demo to try, too

Image credit: Hooded Horse

The early access phase of oceanic, asymmetric faction war strategy sequel Endless Legend 2 is coming to an... end? That can’t be right. But apparently it is, as the Amplitude Studios-developed, Hooded Horse-published 4X game officially has a 1.0 launch set for September 17th.

If you’ve been waiting, then, for Amplitude to get their UI fixes and shame-inducing ‘Bully’ badges all in order, them’s the time. The 1.0 launch will also add a sixth major faction, while introducing smaller Rogue Factions: fringe groups that have splintered off from the main societies of oddballs and monsters, all with their own quests and stories.

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The big new players are the Sandshapers, an ancient empire who remember when Endless Legend 2's sea-covered world was pure desert. As pro-sand extremists, they seek to terraform it back to its dry state, like a bunch of reverse Fremen. Doubtless a difficult group to win over with diplomacy, though perhaps not as genocidally batshit as the coral plague people that Edwin likes to play as.

Rogue Factions, meanwhile, remain recognisable offshoots from their parent major factions, but provide distinct faction quests and strategic twists. The Order of Zelevas, for instance, are a "conquest-focused" splinter group from the Kin of Sheredyn, and The Severed Claw put a grim spin on the Necrophage by only being able to replace lost forces by enslaving defeated enemies. Hooded Horse’s announcement refers to these as "The first two planned," suggesting more Rogue Factions will stake their claims post-launch.

Version 1.0 will also add a new minor faction, the "starfish-like" Mangrove of Harmony. Which isn't as imposing a description as "conquest-focused," but hey. These crusty fellows have been developed with art, lore, and mechanical input from Endless Legend 2 players, meaning that perversely, we already know more about them than the Sandshapers and rogues. Here’s how the Mangrove were described as part of last year’s community art contest:

Gameplay Concept:

• The Mangrove of Harmony provides bonuses to Dust, Food, and Defense, representing their mastery over Dustwater reservoirs. Their units are slow-growing but extremely durable—trees of war that outlast rather than outpace.

Unique Unit:

• The Colossus of Harmony (but ultimately up to devs): a walking fortress formed from countless interwoven Mangroves. Its special attack, Tendril Spear, launches a mass of Dust-infused tendrils that pierce enemies from afar, evolving to cause minor splash damage as the unit evolves.

Truth be told, I enjoy reading about grand strategy games - or rather, other people’s life stories written within them - more than I enjoy being a hexagon hunter myself. But I am interested to see how Endless Legend 2 1.0 lands, given the only person who seemed to like its 2025 demo was our coral-slathering news editor.

On that note, Amplitude are also adding - today, in fact - a "new and improved" demo to Steam, where Endless Legend 2 has sat demo-less for months. It includes the Kin of Sheredyn and the Last Lords as playable factions.