11 bit studios and the Frostpunk 2 development team are excited to invite players back to the unforgiving Frostlands for an exclusive peek at the highly anticipated and ambitious sequel. Today, players who have pre-ordered the Deluxe Edition of the game gain access to a week-long Beta featuring a portion of the sandbox mode known as the Utopia Builder Preview. Additionally, fans can delve deeper into the game with a new developer commentary video, where Frostpunk 2’s co-directors provide valuable insights into the game’s major changes and an extended gameplay preview. Frostpunk 2 is set to launch on July 25th.
In 2018, the original Frostpunk launched without a sandbox mode. However, with the introduction of Endless Mode shortly after launch, it swiftly became one of the community’s favorite ways to play. Allowing players to expand their cities without constraints from the main narrative campaign, the addition of Endless Mode resulted in players dedicating hundreds of hours to constructing their cities and societies in the frozen wastelands.
In Frostpunk 2, the Utopia Builder sandbox experience is enhanced with a richer narrative and other unique aspects specific to the sequel. The game’s developers emphasize that “making a blizzard in a sequel even bigger than the one in the first Frostpunk wouldn’t feel satisfying, creative, or exciting for the players,” so with that in mind, Frostpunk 2 remains a society survival strategy game but places greater emphasis on shaping society than its predecessor.
With the weather somewhat tamed, citizens and factions contemplate various visions for the future. As the new Steward, players must build a council representative of these factions. The ideological conflict is also present in the Utopia Builder Preview mode, where players must reconcile conflicting interests and navigate societal complexities.
Beta access will be available from April 15th (starting at 7 PM CEST / 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT) until April 22nd (closing at 7 PM CEST / 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT). Access to the Beta is included with Frostpunk 2 Digital Deluxe edition, which can be pre-ordered on Steam and the Microsoft Store.
While Frostpunk 2 is significantly larger in scale than the original game in every aspect, this Preview offers a glimpse of approximately 40 percent of the full experience awaiting players upon the game’s release on July 25, 2024, on PC and via PC Game Pass. Anticipate additional factions, expansive maps and colonies, increased exploration, dramatic occurrences, and a robust narrative campaign mode. The game will also become available on consoles at a later date and will be included with Xbox Game Pass.
