Things have been fairly quiet on the Spelunky 2 front since it was announced in 2017, but developer Derek Yu said earlier this year that a release date announcement was "getting closer and closer." Today he announced on Sony's State of Play live stream that the game will launch on September 15.

"We designed the world of 'Spelunky 2' to feel much richer and more dynamic than 'Spelunky 1.' It will be more fulfilling. Players will be able to explore and interact in lots of new ways."

"We've designed the world of 'Spelunky 2' to feel much more rich and dynamic than 'Spelunky 1.'

This includes new characters to help or hinder you, an "expanded" shopping experience, rideable turkeys (we need more rideable turkeys in our lives), and online multiplayer support. The trailer showed a six-sided dice that players can roll to receive rewards (or punishment), perhaps with "Gunstar Heroes" in mind. Also shown in the gameplay footage is a clone gun used to replicate a dog. Dreams.

One detail that caught my eye in the video was Yoo's reference to "creating an in-game family and community" (pictured above) as you go on runs and discover new characters. Each unlocked character seems to permanently occupy a small corner of the in-game hub. Perhaps they can bring gifts."

Given that Yu describes this as a "family," it seems likely that it will be more than an animated display case, but an interactive one.

The release date trailer only mentions the PlayStation 4 version, and Mossmouth confirmed on Twitter shortly after the State of Play event that we will have to wait a bit longer for the PC version. As soon as we have a release date, we will let you know.