Cities Skylines 2 release date window, trailers, gameplay, and news

What is the Cities Skylines 2 release date? A sequel to the beloved city-builder was announced in March 2023 at Paradox Interactive’s announcement show, much to the delight of fans of the original which has just had its eight-year anniversary.

During the Paradox announcement show, Colossal Order CEO, Mariina Hallikainen, took the time to celebrate the anniversary and, in particular, the 5.5 million new players that Cities Skylines – one of the best city-building games available – has picked up in the past year. This is everything we know about the Cities Skylines 2 release date, gameplay, trailers, and more.

Cities Skylines 2 release date window and platforms

The exact Cities Skylines 2 release date has not been revealed yet, however, in the reveal trailer, a release window of 2023 was confirmed.

You can wishlist the game right now on Steam to ensure you don’t miss out when the exact release date is revealed. Provided there are no delays, a 2023 release window means there’s not too long to wait in the grand scheme of things.

As well as PC, it was also revealed at the end of the teaser that Cities Skylines 2 is also coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.

Cities Skylines 2 trailers

There has only been one Cities Skylines 2 trailer showcased so far. While the announcement trailer doesn’t feature any actual gameplay, a powerful voiceover and some animated buildings shed some more light on what we can come to expect from the Cities Skylines sequel.

The trailer opens with a plant germinating, its roots growing through the ground. Soon melding with electrical wires, the camera follows them up to a lamppost on the outskirts of a distant city. While only cinematic, this snapshot is the first of many that show off stunning futuristic cities alongside bustling pedestrian areas and lush parks. Much like the original, it looks like Cities Skylines 2 is carefully imitating the dynamics of real cities whilst also offering players a chance to customise the landscape as much as possible.

Throughout the two-minute cinematic trailer, we see the humble beginnings and the evolution of an intricate metropolis. Seasons change, and buildings along the skyline grow taller, with bridges, roundabouts and highways to boot.

Notably, the trailer features a lot of unique pedestrians living independent lives and offers the line ‘this city has a story’. In one panning shot, we see a jogger, a city worker, a busy back alley, and a person scrolling through their phone. It appears that Colossal Order wants players to feel as though their cities are lived in, and the sequel may be focusing on developing that aspect of the experience.

Cities Skylines 2 gameplay

There hasn’t been a great deal of news on Cities Skylines 2 gameplay just yet. While there were many potential features seen and explained via the announcement trailer’s voiceover, it was primarily cinematic and did not feature actual gameplay. However, a list of Cities Skylines 2 Xbox achievements has surfaced, offering precious insight into what might be possible for players.

Notably, some achievements mention the impact of seasonal weather, and others reward destructive results. From tornados to meteors and even rat infestations, there appears to be no shortage of ways players may be punished as they expand higher and further. Whether these are random occurrences or come as a result of criteria being met is still unknown. The original Cities Skylines offered players an option to toggle off random disasters; fingers crossed that’s true of the sequel too. The ‘Snapshot’ achievement also suggests the sequel will have a dedicated photo mode, which is great for those who want to share their creations.

Another important achievement is ‘Go Anywhere’, which rewards having 20 active transport lines. The original Cities Skylines offered players a large range of different transports to lay in the city, from buses to metro tunnels and cargo ships, amongst others. This achievement supports the idea the sequel will feature a lot of transport options for players to tinker with. The ‘I Made This’ achievement also seems to suggest the game will have an editor where players can make assets.

As for the citizens, there are plenty of hoops to jump through there. Achievements surrounding city policies and happiness exist, as well as educational prowess. To achieve ‘Top of the Class’ players will need to boast a population where 20% have a university-level education. Additionally, ‘You Little Stalker!’ is an achievement that rewards players who monitor a citizen from childhood to old age. Creepy!

The announcement trailer certainly featured NPCs quite heavily, so it’s fair to say there may be some focus there for this new release. More details are sure to be announced in the coming months that can hopefully offer more specifics on what’s to come in Cities Skylines 2.

Now you know everything there is to know about Cities Skylines 2 so far, make sure you read up on the best Cities Skylines mods to spice up your gameplay for the original game. We’ve also got a list of the best PC games you should be playing to make the wait for the sequel a little easier, or the best management games may take your fancy too.

Cities Skylines 2 release date window, trailers, gameplay, and news
Source: Maharot News