Frostpunk 2: Release date, gameplay, trailer, story, features, more

Developer 11-bit Studios announced today that they are working on a sequel to the popular society survival and city-building game, Frostpunk.

Frostpunk 2 will see players once again taking the role of the leader of a resource-hungry metropolis after a catastrophic climate change, which has left the whole planet frozen in the perpetual arctic cold. In this ice and snow-covered world, resources are scarce, but the biggest threat to humanity is not cold or nature, rather other humans.

Just like in the first game, as the leader, you will not only manage resources and build a city, you will also need to understand human nature and make sure that everyone in the city is in a good condition, both physically and mentally. Or otherwise, one small crack in a carefully build society can make the whole city ruined.

Here's what we currently know about the sequel.

Frostpunk 2 story and setting

Frostpunk 2  is set 30 years after the events at the end of the campaign in the first game when the huge apocalyptic blizzard abruptly ended the story mode.

Yet, New London has survived and even made some progress. People are still living in a frozen wasteland and things are not getting better anytime soon, but society has adapted and learned how to use new resources in order to bolster their chances for survival.

Instead of coal and steam machines, which were the main driving forces behind your settlements in the first game, in Frostpunk 2 it's all about oil, a shiny new resource that is now the main source of energy in the game.

"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," says the announcement. "However, change does not come easily, and not everyone in this new multi-layered society will welcome this new direction."

Currently, we don't know much about this new age of oil, new factions, and how all of that has affected society, as developers are being rather tight-lipped about it, but one glimpse at the announcement trailer is enough to show that things are pretty dystopian.

The three core aspects of the game's story (and, to an extent, of gameplay) are three conflicts: survival vs human values, life vs the arctic frost, and "the conflict between humans and their nature."

Frostpunk 2 gameplay and features

Making sure that everyone's demands and wishes have been fulfilled while balancing between various factions and the constant menace of neverending frost will be your main task in Frostpunk 2.

We currently don't have a lot of details about the gameplay, as the game is still in development, but developers explain that they want to make the game that is more than "just a straight-up sequel."

"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," says Jakub Stokalski, Frostpunk 2 co-director.

• Read more: Metal Slug Tactics: Release date, gameplay details, story, and more

The scope and scale of Frostpunk 2 are much bigger than the original, but devs explain that their goal is not just to add more of the same or bloat the game with chores, but rather to expand on the already existing mechanics and to add meaningful new features.

Frostpunk 2 release date and platforms

Frostpunk 2 currently doesn't have a set release date (nor even a year) as developers state that the game is pretty early in development.

"What we aim to deliver to players is an experience that goes vastly beyond that of the original Frostpunk. With a still-growing team of nearly 70 people, we have more manpower available to focus on all aspects of the game from the scale, the production value, and the quality of UX," explains Stokalski.

• Read more: Age of Empires IV: Release date, platforms, new features, and more

When it comes to platforms, the first game was released on PC, PS4, and Xbox, as well as iOS and Android (the Frostpunk Mobile version), so those are the platforms where we might expect to see the sequel as well, but currently, Frostpunk 2 has only been confirmed for PC (Steam, GOG, Epic Games Store).

Don't forget to check out our general video games section for industry news, guides, leaks and much more.