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Frostpunk 2 release date, beta access, gameplay trailers, and news

Here's the latest on the Frostpunk 2 release date, as well as all the trailers and gameplay features 11 Bit Studios has revealed so far.

Frostpunk 2 release date: A grizzled man stands in a swirl of ice and snow, his fur jacket open to reveal a network of scars across his chest.

When is the Frostpunk 2 release date? Moving from coal to oil as your primary power source, the objective remains the same: survive the harsh winter to see another day. However, the needs of the people can sometimes not be in the best interest of the colony as a whole, and one wrong decision means the end.

The best management games always have some element of tension. However, rioting and the eventual collapse of an entire settlement because the heating’s gone out is one of the more unsettling ways to lose. We’ve been waiting a long time since Frostpunk 2 was announced in 2021, but we now have full confirmation of the Frostpunk 2 release date and the latest gameplay details before launch –  we even have a Frostpunk 2 preview if you want to know what you’re getting into.

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Frostpunk 2 release date

The Frostpunk 2 release date is Thursday, July 25, 2024. This was confirmed by developer 11 Bit Studios in the official date reveal trailer that aired during the Xbox Partner Preview 2024.

Frostpunk 2 is available on PC via Steam, Game Pass, Epic Games Store, and GOG. We also have confirmation that we’ll be able to play Frostpunk 2 on Game Pass at launch.

We originally anticipated that Frostpunk 2 would arrive around April or May 2024 following the initial release window that appeared in a Steam blog post from June 2023 following the 11 Bit Studios Investor Conference. This summary of the “future of Frostpunk 2” originally placed the release in the first half of 2024.

Frostpunk 2 release date: An overhead view of a typical industrial city in Frostpunk 2, frostbitten and sustained by vast energy plants.

Frostpunk 2 beta

A Frostpunk 2 beta occurred on Monday, April 15, 2024 at 10am PDT / 1pm EDT / 6pm BST / 7pm CEST. It’s ended on Monday, April 22, 2024.

Players who pre-ordered the Deluxe edition had the opportunity to play in the seven-day beta period and gain access to the Utopia Builder Preview sandbox mode – as well as exclusive access to Frostpunk 2’s story mode three days ahead of the official release. Unfortunately, those who have not purchased the Deluxe edition will not have access.

The beta language options are restricted to English and Simplified Chinese, though 11 Bit Studios confirms that all additional languages noted on the official store page will be available on full release.

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Frostpunk 2 trailers

Frostpunk 2 was officially unveiled in an announcement trailer in August 2021, with a cinematic showing several oil refineries in the distance. A narrator over a tannoy outlines the events of a deserted settlement in the snow, where a bloody massacre took place. Years later, we got another trailer with a narrator summarizing the general theme of the harsh reality of a falling Frostpunk city.

11 Bit Studios then dropped a gameplay teaser during the PC Gaming Show at the tail end of 2023. This trailer was tantalizingly brief, featuring an overview of a frostbitten city kept alive by industrial power lines and a fleet of aerial transport, culminating in a short message to “stay tuned for more.”

Our patience was rewarded with the launch date trailer that appeared in the Xbox Partner Preview 2024, which gave us a more in-depth look at Frostpunk 2’s political systems, map expansion mechanics, and cutthroat diplomacy – all of which demand decisive action if you hope to survive the cold.

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Frostpunk 2 gameplay

Since this first trailer reveal, we didn’t get much info until a couple of years later when our own Will Nelson attended a Frostpunk 2 preview. There, he uncovered that the sequel, in addition to the scenarios, will have endless mode from the start, something that was previously included as DLC. Frostpunk 2 will also use AMD FSR3, with the developers praising just how easy it was to implement into their current game build.

Now that you’re up to speed with the Frostpunk 2 release date, check the best city-building games while you’re waiting for this highly anticipated sequel. We’ve also got some excellent picks for strategy games where you have more direct control.