Nearly six years have passed since Axiom Verge was released and a sequel is in development, but that doesn't mean now is a bad time to roll out the game's first DLC. The free Randomizer mode is in beta and can be accessed right now if you have the game on Steam.

As the name implies, this mode "randomizes" the location of items in Metroidvania. This seems like a risky move, especially in a game where carefully placed power-up items dictate the flow of the game's progression. But as Thomas Hupp writes on the game's official website, this mode takes everything into account.

"The randomizer is smart enough to know that in certain areas you need a weapon with certain characteristics to move on," he writes, later adding that "if the randomizer just gave you an old weapon, you might not be able to move on any further."

Needless to say, it must have been a real headache to implement this mode, and it was definitely a labor of love: as Happ states in his post, this mode was originally a mod created by the Axiom Verge speedrunning community

There are three difficulty modes in Randomizer, but if you have never completed the main game, it would be unwise to dive into any of the difficulties. The other two difficulties rely on knowledge of game glitches and things that only speedrunners would really care about.

Submissions also indicate that Axiom Verge 2 is nearing completion. Said Hupp, "We're working on finishing that up and will have more to say about it soon."