Frostpunk 2 is the first of three current in-house projects to be formally revealed by 11-Bit Studios, and given the success of the first game, perhaps this one doesn’t come as much of a surprise. A brief announcement trailer has been released, showing that the world of Frostpunk has moved on from coal to oil - although it looks just as brutal as before.
“In Frostpunk’s successor, players are once again tasked with playing as the leader of a resource-hungry metropolis where the expansion and search for new sources of power is an unavoidable reality. But the apocalyptic world has moved on,” says the press release. “After the age of coal, conquering Frostland for the oil extraction industry is expected to be the new salvation of what’s left of humanity. However, change does not come easily, and not everyone in this new multi-layered society will welcome this new direction.”
The Steam description confirms Frostpunk 2 takes place 30 years after the events of the first game. Frostpunk 2 co-director Jakub Stokalski said the sequel will go “vastly beyond that of the original Frostpunk,” with the growing team of over 70 developers providing “more manpower available to focus on all aspects of the game”.
“What players should expect is a wide universe of choices, the freedom to shape the society and the city however they see fit - and reap the consequences,” he added. “Frostpunk 2 builds on the conflicts of its predecessor - survival vs human values, life vs the arctic frost. But most importantly, it adds a new layer that is present in many aspects of the game - be it politics, society or technological progress - the conflict between humans and their nature.”
So far Frostpunk 2 has only been announced for release on PC (via Steam, GOG or the Epic Games Store), but the original also released on consoles and even mobile - so perhaps more platforms will be announced at a later date. As of yet, Frostpunk 2 does not have a release date.
The original Frostpunk, a simulation-strategy game about managing a city during a global volcanic winter, is also going free-to-play on Steam between 12th to 16th August. Just to help you get warmed up - or perhaps, cooled down - for the sequel.
