Three Difficulty Settings Were Announced
Underkeep difficulty settings were expanded to three options in the developer's May 30, 2026 update. The announcement says they can be changed during the game and primarily affect combat difficulty. That gives players a way to adjust the challenge rather than treating the initial choice as a permanently fixed commitment.
The source is the official Closer to the Depths development update. It describes changes made after the demo, so it should not be read as a guarantee that the same options appear in the older public demo.
Use the Combat Focus to Guide Your Choice
The developer's stated aim was to accommodate both newcomers and players seeking a challenge. If battles are overwhelming your party, the announced ability to change difficulty offers a more direct adjustment than restarting solely to select another setting.
Check the labels and explanations in the version you are playing. The announcement does not supply verified preset names, enemy-health multipliers, damage percentages, or a precise menu path. A difficulty guide should not invent those details from the existence of three options.
Changing combat difficulty is also not a stated solution for a missing key, a puzzle, or an overlooked interaction. The announcement specifically says the settings primarily affect combat; it does not promise that they reveal secrets or remove every noncombat obstacle.
Keep the Public Demo and Later Development Separate
The official demo description limits that version to the starting area, one dungeon, and a selection of classes. The May update discusses a game that had grown beyond that demo in systems, content, and encounters.
If you cannot find three difficulty choices in the demo, do not assume your installation is broken. First identify which version you have and compare its available settings with the dated announcement. A feature reported in development does not, by itself, establish that the public demo was patched to include it.
For the same reason, treat difficulty-specific saving restrictions as unconfirmed unless your current version explicitly explains them. A developer discussing a possible design idea is different from a finished rule.
FAQ
How many difficulty settings were announced?
Three. The developer announced them in the May 30, 2026 development update.
Can difficulty be changed after starting?
The announcement says the settings can be changed during the game. It does not give a verified menu path for doing so.
Does that prove the old demo has all three settings?
No. The announcement describes development after the demo, whose official description presents a limited slice of the game.