Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition launched on August 31, 2018 on Xbox One, PS4, and PC, and with it comes a swath of improvements and content additions over the original to make a great experience even better. More, it's free to owners of the original version, and on PC, you can choose which version you play upon launching (in case you prefer the original, or just want to access old saves).

In total, thousands of changes are included, all of which should be detailed below (with the exception of the story, dialogue, and scripting changes, which are summarized instead). If you discover anything in game not listed here, please add it to this page or leave a comment.

Warning Saves created with the original version of the game are not compatible with the Definitive Edition and vice versa. Similarly, mods created for the original version are not compatible with the new version and vice versa. Such mods must be updated (you can find them in the Workshop with the Definitive Edition tag, which is automatically applied to updated mods). More information on DE mods can be found Saves created with the original version of the game arecompatible with the Definitive Edition and vice versa. Similarly, mods created for the original version are not compatible with the new version and vice versa. Such mods must be updated (you can find them in the Workshop with the Definitive Edition tag, which is automatically applied to updated mods). More information on DE mods can be found here

Overview

A narrative overhaul with over 150,000 words of text changed and over 130,000 words recorded. The result is a more polished experience with increased reactivity, particularly with regard to origin quests/dialogue and Arx.

Tutorial improvements (another section added, aimed at CRPG newbies).

Eight new fights (Harbour fight/Kraken; Paladin and Voidwoken fight; Kemm's Garden; Ruins fight at 263 65 accessible only if Jahan's demon quest wasn't progressed; possessed kid you found on Bloodmoon Island (377 153); Kemm's assassins (241 306); Deathfog Zone (386 36).

Performance improvements.

Balance changes to many different aspects of the game, including skills and difficulty levels (see below).

Dynamic theme music for companions that changes throughout the game (e.g. Red Prince's theme will be heard near the beginning of the game and change as the game progresses).

Retooling of the soundtrack to reflect the new writing and Arx rework.

New content featuring the Knights of Drey, an apocalyptic cult of squirrels and its leader Sir Lora, who can be recruited as a mini companion.

User interface improvements, including to the journal, which has received a complete overhaul and rewrite (lore and quests are now separate), and the bartering and inventory systems (see all companions' bags side by side and send multiple items to a companion at once), among other areas.

Revamped arena mode (includes solo play, online multiplayer PVP, and hot seat; adds 16 more characters including Malady, Zandalor, and Radeka), new arenas (Horrorsleep, Oasis, Canals, and Temple), and mutator effects (which do anything from granting wings to dropping everyone's health to a minimum).

All online modes except Game Master have been added for the console version, including split screen and a new hot seat arena mode.

Redesigned areas and dungeons.

Adjusted visual effects.

HDR support (coming soon).

Balancing

Smoother difficulty curve thanks to reworked artificial stat jumps at level 9, 13, 16, and 18 (all reduced by 3% except 13, which is removed).

Story mode difficulty for those that aren't really interested in combat (makes fights easier and adds guaranteed flee and resurrection abilities).

Economy tweaks (namely more sensible values placed on armor and unique items).

Persuasion tweaks (easier to meet checks).

High quality wands can create surfaces.

Changes to elemental resistances and armour values.

Damage dealt from healing the undead will now scale with Warfare, and can crit with Savage Sortilege.

Nerfs to damage bonuses on non-unique weapons so they don't overtake unique weapons.

AI attacks characters with damage reflection more often (buff to reflect builds).

Explorer difficulty changes (enemy Effective Defence buffed from 1 to 1.35 due to reducing enemy armour malus to -30%; player characters' Effective Defence reduced due to enemy damage increase to 70% of base versus 50%; enemy Vitality multiplier set to -20%; player Vitality multiplier set to +50%).

Honour mode difficulty curve smoothed out (namely, last act more challenging) thanks to new Effective Defense formula.

Human racial bonus changed from +5% crit chance and +2 initiative to +5% crit chance and +10% crit damage.

Buffs

Totems scale with Intelligence.

Petrifying Touch damage increased by 33%.

Sucker Punch damage increased by 10%.

Infect damage increased by 10%.

Mosquito Swarm cooldown reduced to 3 turns.

Door to Eternity increased duration to 3 turns.

Planar Gateway AP cost reduced (okay because teleporting items now has a maximum number of tries, meaning no infinite combo) and range increased to 15m.

Torturer talent now lets you apply Burning, Poisoned, and Bleeding through armour.

Increased Fire Whip damage by 30%.

Blood Infusion now provides Necromancy.

Shadow and Warp Infusions provide 25% damage increase.

Supercharger damage bonus increased to 100%. Cooldown reduced to 2 turns.

Challenge cost reduced to 0 AP and duration to 2 turns. Increased win bonus to 20% damage and removed damage loss on challenge loss. Heal no longer damages undead casters and amount of healing is doubled.

Increased Assassinate damage by 20%.

Tornado cooldown reduced to 5 turns.

Increased Rallying Cry radius to 6m.

Increased Squall radius to 5m.

Increased Ice Fan radius to ~3m. Now does damage to everything in AOE as well.

Teleport damage increased.

Special arrows now deal damage to everything in AOE.

Nerfs