City builders, get excited: Cities: Skylines 2 has been announced by publisher Paradox Interactive, just shy of eight years since the release of the highly acclaimed first instalment of the game. The game will be released in 2023 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, although no specific release date has been announced as of yet.
Paradox Interactive dropped the cinematic trailer for Cities: Skylines 2 alongside The Lamplighters League and Life By You during the Paradox Announcement Show presentation in partnership with Xbox. The newest iteration of the ‘revolutionary’ city builder promises ‘the most realistic city simulation ever created.’
A press release from the publisher promises a ‘modern take on the city-building genre’, with ‘fully-realized transport and economy systems, a wealth of construction and customisation options, and advanced modding capabilities.’
‘Players can build any kind of city they can imagine and follow its growth from a humble village to a bustling metropolis,’ Paradox Interactive says, ‘from individual households to the city’s economy and transportation system, Cities: Skylines 2 offers a deep and immersive simulation that welcomes both new and veteran players.’
Since the 2015 release of the first Cities: Skylines, the game has sold over 12 million copies across all platforms, becoming ubiquitous in the city-builder genre. The popularity of the game has continued even as it nears a decade old, with DLC expansion packs released as recently as September 2022. The publisher confirmed in their statement that last year alone saw 5.5 million new players pick up the original for the first time.
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Cities: Skylines 2 isn’t the only city builder getting a sequel soon, with Frostpunk 2 currently also in development.
The Steam page is live now, although currently it’s pretty bare-bones, with no release date or price as of yet. We can expect to see more information coming soon, hopefully including a first look at gameplay and more information about what to expect as it nears release.
Cities: Skylines 2 is set to launch on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5 in 2023.
