'Shovel Knight' Going Multiplayer With New Expansion

Even though it was believed that the forthcoming King of Cards would be its final chapter in the Treasure Trove saga, it looks like Yacht Club Games is expanding the game even further — and this time, it's inviting other players into the fold.

IGN recently ran a story confirming that Shovel Knight would be getting a special multiplayer expansion under the name of Showdown. You can actually see ten minutes of early gameplay for the title above, seeing how well four players can hold off against one another in several skirmishes.

The expansion will feature many modes, including a survival-based Showdown mode, as well as a special Gem Clash mode and — surprise! — a full Story Mode that revolves around all of the different characters.

Showdown will also see various locations and characters from the Shovel Knight saga, with over 16 playable ones in all.

"Originally we imagined a pared-down, almost minigame-style addendum to Shovel Knight," Yacht Club Games' David D'Angelo explained to IGN. "It seemed like there was a lot of room to create something unique with a game that combined platforming with combat- something simpler and more frenetic than a fighting game, but more interesting and deep than a no-frills party game."

"One of our main goals for Shovel Knight Showdown is to celebrate the weird and wonderful characters in Shovel Knight. So if you have a favorite character you want to see playable, chances are someone on the development team is championing their inclusion too," he added.

It's unknown when the public will be able to try out the mode for themselves. However, PAX West is coming up very quickly; and Yacht Club Games hasn't missed a show yet. Don't be surprised if Showdown pops up in some capacity in Seattle this weekend.

The mode will cost $9.99 for separate purchase, or will be free to those that have downloaded the Treasure Trove edition of Shovel Knight. It will be available to most platforms across the board, save for the Nintendo 3DS and Vita versions of Shovel, which won't get it.

We'll let you know as the expansion continues to make progress, as well as when King of Cards gets a release date.

Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove is available now for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC and Wii U.