Grim Dawn

Grim Dawn is a loot-driven action RPG (hack and slash) from independent studio Crate Entertainment, set in Cairn, a grim fantasy world on the brink of extinction where humanity is caught in the crossfire between two warring otherworldly powers. At its core it's a direct heir to Diablo II — you kill, loot and upgrade your character in an addictive loop — but with a twist of its own that sets it apart from the rest of the genre.

Grim Dawn's signature is its dual-mastery system: you pick one of ten classes and, later on, blend in a second to build a unique hybrid. A Soldier/Occultist plays nothing like a Necromancer/Arcanist, and the combinations run into the dozens. On top of that sits the Devotion tree, a web of constellations layering passive and active effects, plus a deep loot system full of affixes, sets and build-defining items that completely reshape how you play. The payoff is enormous build freedom — more approachable than Path of Exile, yet far richer than Diablo.

The campaign is more than a straight line to the final boss: there are choices with lasting consequences, factions whose reputation you can win or lose, and a dark, gothic-industrial horror atmosphere that gives it real personality. You can play through it solo or in online co-op for up to four players.

Grim Dawn is a one-time purchase (buy to play): you pay once, with no subscription and no microtransactions. The base game runs around $24.99 on Steam and GOG, and extra content arrives through paid DLC: the expansions Ashes of Malmouth (2017) and Forgotten Gods (2019), the Crucible Mode (2016), and the most recent, Fangs of Asterkarn (2026, $18.99). On Xbox it's sold as Grim Dawn: Definitive Edition, which bundles the base game and expansions. It goes on sale very often — the base game has hit -90% — so there's rarely a reason to pay full price: grab the complete pack or a bundle on discount to get everything cheap.

In 2026 Grim Dawn is still live and actively supported, on the 1.2.x branch. On July 23, 2026 Crate released Fangs of Asterkarn, its biggest expansion yet: it grows the world of Cairn by more than 30%, adds the tenth mastery — Berserker, with transformations and shapeshifting — the Ascendant mode layered above Ultimate difficulty, three new factions (including the Kurn tribes), hundreds of items, potion customization and roguelike-style dungeons. Crate has confirmed this is the game's final major expansion and that the studio is already eyeing new projects, though balance and quality-of-life patches will continue. Nearly a decade after launch, it holds a solid player base, with peaks of tens of thousands of concurrent players following the expansion.

If you want an ARPG with enormous build depth, a story-driven campaign and the freedom to play at your own pace — solo or with friends — Grim Dawn is one of the best entry points into the genre and one of the most beloved heirs to Diablo II. The honest downsides: the early pace is a bit slow until you unlock your second mastery, and its visuals show their age (the original game dates to 2016). Neither takes away from the fact that, at this point and with all its content on the table, it's a no-brainer buy for any loot fan.