Cities: Skylines 2, the upcoming city-building game from developer Colossal Order and publisher Paradox Interactive, will reportedly launch with performance issues to avoid a major delay to the game. According to Colossal, the upcoming sequel has not hit internal benchmarking targets – but the studio does not wish to delay the game beyond its planned 24 October 2023 launch.
Already, the studio has delayed the game’s launch on console due to a need for more refinement, although it appears the PC version of the game is in slightly better shape.
“Cities: Skylines 2 is a next-gen title, and naturally, it demands certain hardware requirements,” Colossal Order said. “With that said, while our team has worked tirelessly to deliver the best experience possible, we have not achieved the benchmark we targeted.”
While developers and publishers rarely admit performance issues ahead of a game’s launch, the announcement has been made in the spirit of transparency, to address fan concerns about minimum and recommended specs for Cities: Skylines 2 suddenly being raised.
It’s currently unclear how severe the game’s performance issues actually are, and what players can expect on launch. According to the game’s FAQ page, the severity of issues faced will depend on PC specifications – with some players likely to experience issues, and others having an easier time.
Read: Cities: Skylines 2 for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S delayed to 2024
“We still think for the long-term of the project, releasing now is the best way forward,” Colossal said of its decision not to delay the game. “We are proud of the unique gameplay and features in Cities: Skylines 2, and we genuinely believe that it offers a great experience that you will enjoy.”
“We will continually improve the game over the coming months, but we also want to manage expectations on performance for the coming release. Our ambition is for Cities: Skylines 2 to be enjoyed by as many players as possible, and we’re committed to ensuring it reaches its full potential.”
Those looking to purchase the game on day one should be aware of the expected issues, and the high PC requirements for enjoyment. With time, these challenges will be resolved – but for now, Colossal Order and Paradox Interactive are warning fans to expect a rocky launch.
Cities: Skylines 2 will be released for PC via Steam on 24 October 2023 as planned.
