The much-anticipated release of Cities: Skylines 2 is drawing near. Unveiled in March 2023 as the successor to the beloved 2015 city builder, the upcoming sequel is set to provide the dedicated community with an even more extensive and immersive experience in management, construction, and life simulation compared to its predecessor.
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Release Date And Platforms
Cities Skylines 2 is slated to launch on October 24, 2023, exclusively for PC. However, there’s a bit of disappointment as the release for PS5 and Xbox Series X initially expected in 2023, has been delayed to Spring 2024, as confirmed on September 29.
System Requirements
Minimum
- OS: Windows® 10 Home 64 Bit
- Processor: Intel® Core™ i7-6700K | AMD® Ryzen™ 5 2600X
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia® GeForce™ GTX 970 (4 GB) | AMD equivalent
Recommended
- OS: Windows® 10 Home 64 Bit | Windows® 11
- Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-12600K | AMD® Ryzen™ 7 5800X
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia® GeForce™ RTX 3080 (10 GB) | AMD equivalent
Preorder Bonuses
If you decide to preorder Cities Skylines 2, you’ll gain access to an array of nine unique buildings, each meticulously crafted to resemble famous landmarks around the world. Here’s the exciting lineup:
- The London Eye
- Notre Dame
- National Gallery
- Grand Hotel
- Botanical Garden
- Näsinneula
- Xi’an Bell Tower
- Sungnye
- National Diet
In addition to these special buildings, preorders also grant you an exclusive in-game map that replicates the geography of Tampere, Finland—a special nod to the location where the developer Colossal Order is based.
Prices And Editions
| Edition | Price (in USD) | Content |
| Standard Edition | 49.99 | • Base Game |
| Ultimate Edition | 89.99 | • Base Game • San Francisco Set • Beach Properties Asset Pack (launches in Q4 2023) • 2 Content Creator Packs (launches in Q1 2024) • The Bridges & Ports Expansion (launches in Q2 2024) • 3 Radio Stations paired with each release. |
Gameplay
Cities Skylines 2 is set to redefine the city-building experience, surpassing its predecessor in gameplay innovation. Branded as the ‘ultimate in realism among city builders’ on its Steam page, the game boasts a ‘new epic scale’. This is substantiated by details from leaked achievements, revealing a significant expansion—enabling the use of a whopping 150 map tiles within a single city, a substantial leap from the original nine. Moreover, exciting new weather dynamics like hailstorms, tornados, and forest fires, previously available through DLC in the original game, are part of the base game in Cities Skylines 2. An intriguing feature is an ability to ‘track an individual’s journey from childhood to old age’, hinting at a notably enhanced simulation depth beyond what the original Cities Skylines offered.
The official announcement for Cities: Skylines 2 promises an extensive gaming experience. You’ll have control over everything in the city, from homes to transportation and the economy. There’s a lot you can build and customize. Plus, they’re making it easy for players to modify the game the way they want. They’re aiming for this to be the most open and flexible city-building game around.
Fredrik Wester, the CEO of Paradox Interactive said, “With unprecedented amounts of customization and player control, Cities: Skylines 2 will continue to push boundaries for the city-building franchise.”
New Features
New Progression System
In the original Cities: Skylines, players needed to increase their city’s population to unlock better services and facilities. However, in Cities: Skylines 2, they’ve introduced an XP system for progress. You earn XP as your city grows and by actively constructing new buildings. They’ve also introduced ‘Development Trees,’ similar to skill trees, for specific city services. Players can spend Development Points in these trees to tailor their city-building experience to their liking, offering more personalization options.
Climate And Seasons
In the original Cities: Skylines, the weather was the same for every map, no matter if it was by the coast or farther inland. However, Cities: Skylines 2 is changing this by introducing distinct weather cycles for each map. Different areas will now have their own weather patterns – some might see lots of rain, others might be dry and arid, and some could regularly have snowfall.
Deeper City Services
In Cities: Skylines 2, the approach to city services has evolved. Rather than constructing numerous identical buildings, players can upgrade a single building to boost its effectiveness. Moreover, the game introduces new services such as internet and telecom towers to add a touch of realism and depth to the city-building experience.
Map Changes and Themes
In Cities: Skylines 2, maps are much bigger—five times the size of the original. You can place map parts however you want, and there are cool new building styles to pick from, like North American or European.
New Zones And Signature Buildings
In Cities: Skylines 2, the zoning system has become more detailed. Specifically, residential zones offer a variety of medium-density housing choices for players to pick from while expanding their population. The game also introduces special signature buildings that can increase the value of specific zoning areas.
Will There Be A Multiplayer Mode In Cities Skylines 2?
No, Cities Skylines 2 will not feature a multiplayer mode.
In March, Colossal Order conducted a brief Q&A on their official Twitter handle. When asked about the possibility of adding multiplayer functionality, the developers stated, “Adding multiplayer support takes an incredible amount of time and resources that would take away from building the core player experience we are striving to create.”
