Home > Games > Defense Grid 2

Defend Your Fortress From Alien Hordes

Defense Grid 2 is the award-winning tower defense strategy game that sets the bar for all others.  A horde of enemies is invading and stealing your cores, now it’s up to you to stop them by strategically building towers at your base. The controls are intuitive, the gameplay is deep, and you’ll find yourself refining your strategies for hours on end.

Protect the cores on Nintendo Switch™ February 7th!


Show More

DG2 Launch Trailer
View Gallery >

Players Gonna Play

Multiple Platforms for Launch

Multiple Platforms for Launch

Defense Grid 2 is available on the Nintendo Switch, Steam, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and in Virtual Reality for the Oculus Rift, Oculus Go, and Samsung GearVR.
Full Story Campaign

Full Story Campaign

Defense Grid 2 comes with a story campaign featuring 21 stunning maps, a continued story, and an expanded cast of characters featuring some of the best voices in games. The controls are intuitive and the gameplay is deep.
Challenge Modes

Challenge Modes

Defense Grid 2 comes with many challenge modes per map that provide new rule sets and and additional fun on every map! With over 20 maps and more than 10 challenge modes across the game, there are hundreds of unique challenges to be played on one of four different difficulty modes.
Cooperative Multiplayer

Cooperative Multiplayer

Defense Grid 2 supports cooperative multiplayer on all console and PC versions (VR not included). The story can be enjoyed from start to finish in either single player mode or with two players playing together. An additional co-op mode that keeps individual score is also included. Some platforms even allow online play as well.

You Will Need These to K.O. Aliens

PC

OS: Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.0, Windows 8.1
Processor: Dual core CPU 2.0Ghz or faster
Memory: 3 GB RAM
Graphics: DirectX 10 video card with shader 4 support and Passmark Video Benchmark of 160 or above such as the following: ATI Radeon HD3650 or better (HD3650-HD8000, RX200-RX300+) (Radeon HD 4200 and HD 4250 not included) NVIDIA GeForce 8600 or newer (8800, 9600-9800, or 100-700+) (GeForce 8600M not included) Intel HD Graphics 2500 or higher
DirectX: Version 10
Hard Drive: 2 GB available space

Additional Notes: DG2 requires a multi-core processor and at least 3 GB of RAM on your computer to run. DG2 relies on a DirectX 10.0 or later graphics engine which means it runs on Windows Vista, Win7, Win8, and Win8.1. DG2 will not run on Windows XP. DG2 requires a video graphics card or chipset that supports DirectX10, video cards made with current technology after November 2006 (up to 7 years old). Compatible graphics cards include any AMD Radeon graphics card with the "HD" or "RX" designation (HD2000-HD8000, RX200-RX300+), any NVIDIA card after and including the 8000 series (8000, 9000, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700+ series), and any Intel graphics chipsets released on the GMA X3100 (2007) architecture and later (GL960, GM965, B43, Q43+, G41, G43, G45, GL40, GS40, GM43, GS45, Core i3 integrated graphics or later, Intel "HD Graphics" or later). DG2 requires Steam to run.

Mac

OS: OSX Lion (10.7.5) or higher
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor (2GHz or better)
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: Radeon 2400/GeForce 8600/Intel HD 3000 256MB+
Hard Drive: 2 GB available space

Linux

OS: SteamOS Machines
Processor: Dual 2.0Ghz CPUs or better 64-bit capable processor
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA, AMD or Intel graphics card with Open GL 3.2 or higher drivers for SteamOS
Hard Drive: 2 GB available space
Additional Notes: UEFI boot support

Choose Your Platform

Available Now for Nintendo Switch, Steam, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Oculus Rift

Nintendo Switch PS4 Xbox One PC Rift

From The Blog view all

DG2 March Steam Update

DG2 March Steam Update

3/24/2015 – DG2 March Steam Update – PC, Mac only (SteamOS version coming very soon) Gameplay: – New Game Type: Classic Open. Classic Open introduces the original DG scoring model to DG2. It is available for all single player missions and modes. No medals are awarded in Classic Open. – Tower Limit Mode Fix: Fixed […]

Read more

Ratings & Reviews view all

Jeff Pobst talks to OK Games about Defence Grid 2 and VR

Jeff Pobst talks to OK Games about Defence Grid 2 and VR

Julian Rzechowicz
OK Games

Read more

Frequently Asked Questions

  • I'm having difficulty getting the Master Strategist Achievement - why is this?

    The Master Strategist medal is awarded for receiving 100 gold medals in DG2.


    The difficulty level and game type (open, competitive, or unlimited sell) are ignored for this achievement.


    What does matter is that each gold medal must be earned on a different map and game mode. For example, a gold medal earned playing Overlook - Fixed Resources is separate from a gold medal earned playing Overlook - Story. Your count would be two gold medals.


    As a second example, a gold medal earned playing Overlook - Story on Easy would NOT be counted separately from a gold medal earned playing Overlook - Story on Hard. Your count would be one gold medal.


    Additionally, if you started earning gold medals in Defense Grid 2 on console prior to 10/28/2014, then it is possible that some of your gold medal progress prior to that date did not contribute toward your total gold medal count.


    There was a difficult to find game bug that was found and removed in the October console update. During the first five weeks on console while the bug was present, a player who launched DG2, but did not play any maps could accidentally erase their gold medal progress stats on exit. That bug was removed and no longer impacts the gold medal count earned after 10/28/2014.


  • My Xbox One game load times are very long compared to other DG2 versions.

    Yes, this is true. We had to work very hard to get the load times down to what they are on Xbox One - the software on the Xbox One loads much slower than on the PC or the PS4 unfortunately.


    The Xbox One has a lot of multitasking ability, and runs two virtual machines on top of another operating system.


    The good news is that because the exclusive partition (the area that plays games) on Xbox One is a virtual machine, their ability in the future to be backwards compatible with the Xbox One will be much easier.


    But for now we deal with longer loading times on this platform.


  • On Xbox One, sometimes matchmaking works fine, other times it doesn't work at all.

    Yes, we have done several tests with Microsoft and they agree that the game works as expected in their test environment and that sometimes in the LIVE production environment it isn't behaving as it is expected to (i.e. people can't find each other to play games).


    Microsoft has addressed this problem a few times, and each time they've looked at it, matchmaking is repaired and works in our testing.


    If you are no longer able to find another game, please let Microsoft and Hidden Path know (we'll contact our Microsoft colleagues in that situation).


  • How do I invite my friend to a game on Xbox One?

    1.) Both Players need to be friends and logged into Xbox Live

    2.) Player A starts DG2 > Multiplayer > Choose your game mode/map > Press Y to invite friend > Select your friend and Invite to Game.

    3.) Player B receives the invite and presses the Xbox “logo” button to accept

    4.) After a short moment, Player A will get a “Match Found” dialogue. Player A accepts the match.

    5.) At this point, both players will be brought into a lobby, and they should be able to get into a game from there.


  • I want to play Co-op with another player on the same couch - how do I do that?

    Enter the single player campaign. On the mission selection screen, activate the second controller. If you progress forward with the second controller active, you'll play in co-op mode. If you'd like to play Coordinated Defense (another co-op mode), that option will become available in the list of modes once a second controller is activated.


  • How much is DG2? Is there more than one version?

    Defense Grid 2 is $14.99 (USD) on Steam, Xbox One & PS4.


    On Steam (only) there is a Special Edition with additional content for $19.99 (USD).


    The Steam Special Edition includes

    - Digital Art Book - The Art of Defense Grid (73 pages)

    - Digital Art Book - The Art of Defense Grid 2 (123 pages)

    - Digital eBook - The Making of Defense Grid 2, the Complete Story by Russ Pitts (312 pages)

    - Defense Grid 2: A Matter of Endurance - 27.5 minute audio play of an original story. Performance stars the English voice cast.


  • When did the game become available?

    DG2 was released on September 23, 2014.


  • How is DG2 different from the original Defense Grid?

    DG2 has new enemies, characters, levels, story, and more. We are also excited to bring multiplayer to the Defense Grid world. DG2 has cooperative and PVP multiplayer modes. DG2 on Steam also has the ability for users to get creative with the DG Architect User Created Content tool on the PC. Steam players can download levels from the Steam Workshop store.


  • Does Defense Grid 2 have any DLC?

    Although there is no official DLC yet, there are ways to get more content on Steam.


    Players on Steam can purchase custom-created maps from our in-game store that our team has curated (more details on that in our DG Architect section), or they can also check out community sites such as dg2freemaps.com which host user created maps.


    Players on Steam can also register their email here: http://hiddenpath.com/dg2register/ to receive a Steam code for a free "designer's cut" version of an in-game map.


  • What is the game rated?

    DG2 is rated E 10+ for Fantasy Violence and Mild Language.


  • Does DG2 have a demo?

    Yes, there is a free Defense Grid 2 demo on several platforms that feature the story mode of the first four maps in the game.


    The demo is available on Steam for PC, Xbox One, and PS4 in North America only.


  • Will we learn more about the story of Defense Grid this time, why we are here, etc?

    We worked closely with several great writers for DG2 to incorporate additional lore and narrative into the game. We are excited to share more story with players.


  • I have the original on Xbox 360 and don’t have an Xbox One, why not back on the 360?

    We aren’t ruling out an Xbox 360 version in the future, but currently DG2 uses features and software that is only available on the Xbox One.


  • I thought Hidden Path was self-publishing this sequel, what happened?

    We have partnered with 505 to bring the game onto the Xbox One and PS4 in addition to our previous Steam plans so even more gamers can enjoy Defense Grid 2.


  • Is Fletcher back?

    Yes, Fletcher is back along with a few new characters as well. Simon and Cai from the Defense Grid expansions also appear in DG2.


  • What are the key features in DG2?

    Individualize The Experience – Upgrades and tower item power ups allow gamers to enhance and customize their strategy as they play.


    All-New Features – The game features a new engine, maps, campaign, characters, enemies, towers and more.


    Multiplayer – All-new to the Defense Grid universe, DG2 features two-player co-op and competitive MP modes. Players can work with or against other players to evolve strategies. Co-op mode allows players to work with a friend to build towers and defend power cores. Competitive mode allows players to compete and modify each other’s gameplay experience while interacting.


    User Created Content – PC players will be able to design and share their own battlescapes online and Steam players will be able to download those levels.


  • Will I be able to post videos on the internet?

    Yes, you are welcome to share your time in game with anyone you would like via the internet. If you have interest in monetizing your videos please email press@hiddenpath.com so we can get you a letter that protects your from any copyright issues.


  • Is there a wiki for DG2?

    Yes, the official wiki for DG2 is hosted by IGN, http://www.ign.com/wikis/defense-grid-2?objectid=137597


  • I had a beta key, does that mean I should also own the game?

    Beta keys were only active during our beta period. Upon release those keys were deactivated. Beta testers will now see the option to purchase the game in their Steam library.


  • How can I restore my save data or profile?

    Players can restore a backup copy of their profile by removing the “.bak” extension from the following file:


    PC:

    C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\userdata\\221540\remote\profile\user.profile.bak


    Mac:

    User\Library\Application Support\Steam\\userdata\\221540\remote\profile\user.profile.bak


  • I get an error message that says my files are corrupted... please reinstall. How do I fix this?

    This error typically indicates that there are corrupted files in the game data. Most often this is associated with downloading free user maps that haven't been fully tested. To resolve the issue, navigate to My Documents/DG2 and delete the files in that folder that are causing the problem.


  • Steam is stuck at 'Preparing to launch...' and nothing happens.

    This is a known bug that sometimes happens within the Steam client before our game is ever run. A workaround is to uninstall Steam and then re-install the Steam client (make sure to re-download the installer from Steampowered.com).


  • I never see the DG2 launcher when I run DG2

    Sometimes, Windows screen settings can get corrupted. By ensuring a windowed mode and a resolution that will fit on your screen (say 1600 x 900 if that fits), you can run DG2 in a way that should repair this. To do this:

    1. Right click DG2 in Steam > Properties > General > Set Launch Options.

    2. Enter “-skiplauncher -windowed -windowsize 1600 900 -rendersize 1600 900”.


  • I can get to the launcher but I see a black/white screen after clicking “Play.”

    Sometimes, Windows screen settings can get corrupted affecting the launcher. By ensuring a windowed mode and a resolution that will fit on your screen (say 1600 x 900 if that fits), you can run DG2 in a way that should repair this. To do this:

    1. Right click DG2 in Steam > Properties > General > Set Launch Options.

    2. Enter “-skiplauncher -windowed -windowsize 1600 900 -rendersize 1600 900”.


  • I get an error message that says d3dx11@.dll missing

    This typically means that specific graphics card drivers are missing for your video card. Please redownload and reinstall the latest drivers for your graphics card from the appropriate web site - NVIDIA, AMD, or your laptop / desktop manufacturer.


  • My cursor disappears when I’m in-game.

    In the Windows > Mouse Settings:

    - Toggle the “Display pointer trails” option

    - Make sure you have “Hide pointer while typing” disabled.


  • I'm a Mac User and my screen is unusually dark. How can I fix this?

    This is a bug in the AMD driver associated with a specific range of AMD cards that are used in certain models of Mac laptops and computers. Unfortunately we are unable to work around the bug in the game code and the fix requires an updated driver.


    The good news is that AMD has fixed the bug in the driver and included the updated driver in the upcoming Apple 10.10.3 driver release.


    Apple is expected to release this update in the March / April 2015 time period.


    We wish we could get you the fix earlier than that, but due to the way Apple manages driver updates, all players affected by this bug will have to wait until Apple releases 10.10.3.


  • Defense Grid 2 crashes on the latest version of the game . What can I do?

    We have updated DG2 based on all of the Steam crash reports we have received and to date we have fixed reported bugs responsible for over 90% of the reports we have received.


    If you have a crash bug that is still happening, it may be that we are still working on fixing it for an upcoming release.


    But, the #1 reason for most remaining crashes is older video card drivers that are not recent - please update your drivers first and see if that fixes your problem.


    A second type of remaining crash bug is of the 'blue screen' or 'full system crash' type. This crash type is most typically indicative of a failed or failing element of your hardware in your computer (memory / motherboard / overheating / etc.)


    It may be that your crash bug is one that hasn't been reported to us yet. In that case please send us a report of the steps that crash the game along with the crash dump to bugs-dg2@hiddenpath.com The launcher will try to automatically assist you in doing this the next time you start the game up after a crash.


  • I am crashing during the launcher load and so it won't allow me to send in crash dumps, How do I send them to you manually?

    You can manually send us your crash dump(s) by locating them in this folder (they’ll have a .dmp extension:

    \Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\DefenseGrid2


    and then emailing them along with information about your computer to bugs-dg2@hiddenpath.com


  • What are useful launch commands that can be entered into Steam's Set Launch Options?

    Here are useful launch commands that can be specified by right-clicking DG2 and entering them in Steam > Properties > General > Set Launch Options)


    -skiplauncher

    -skipintro


    -fullscreen

    -windowed


    -rendersize x y

    -windowsize x y


    -gfx_quality 1-4


    -controller xbox

    -controller ps3

    -controller steam


    -disablemouse

    -disablekeyboard


Games

Connect

© Hidden Path Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

Design by Bullseye Creative