Tempers are rising in Frostpunk 2, so at least something is staying warm in this apocalyptic ice age.
Developer 11 Bit Studios has debuted a new gameplay trailer for Frostpunk 2, a sequel set decades after the 2018 city-building game, and has also confirmed that it’ll be available day-one through Game Pass. Like the first Frostpunk, Frostpunk 2 is a real-time strategy game set in the middle of a new ice age that has enveloped the globe, wiping out most of humanity save for one metropolis built around a gigantic furnace. 30 years have passed, the last remnants of humanity have survived, and the only real problem is a growing populace testing your administrative abilities.
As the Steward, it’ll be up to you to manage the wants and needs of the people, expand the city, and keep the fires burning. The only problem? You can’t always please everyone, and some hard choices will need to be made while you prepare yourself to deal with the consequences, like the emergence of new radical factions who’ll challenge your authority.
Some of the other new features being introduced in Frostpunk 2 include options to create new districts with different purposes, the introduction of a Council to help manage emerging crises, and an emphasis on diplomacy as you try to keep the more ambitious elements of the city in check.
You can also research new technologies to help keep the lights on and the cold at bay as you try to stop humanity’s destructive nature from wiping itself out. Frostpunk 2 is scheduled to launch for PC in the first half of 2024 and it will be available day-one for PC Game Pass. An Xbox Series X|S release will arrive at a later date, and in case you’re worried if a city-building strategy game can be played with a controller, the first Frostpunk is a pretty great example of nailing the nuances of that genre with just a single gamepad.