Back in April, 11 Bit Studios gave players who preordered the deluxe edition of Frostpunk 2 a little slice of the survival city builder to chew on. The week-long beta covered 300 in-game weeks of sandbox mode, and the reaction from players was generally positive, but they weren't over the moon about it either—not the sort of excitement you'd expect from the sequel to a beloved and highly influential city builder.
That muted response is part of the reason 11 Bit Studios has moved Frostpunk 2's release day from July 25 to September 20, saying "there was both a lot of praise" for the beta but also "many keen observations on areas we could improve or add to the final game."
In a post on Steam today, the studio said: "As we analyzed your feedback and prioritized things we want to add to the game, we realized that to properly do them justice—and to guarantee the best possible experience at launch—we need more time to finish the development of Frostpunk 2."
The delay of two months isn't a long one, and the studio outlined exactly how that extra time will be used, which includes making changes to Frostpunk 2's workforce management system, overhauling the UI, adding more direct-use abilities players can use for crisis management, allowing the reshaping of districts after they've been built, and more.
"We know this is not the news you wanted to hear," the studio said. "However, we believe these additional features are something you deserve to see in-game on day one, not in a patch added after the release. We can only hope you understand that our decision comes from a place of wanting to create the best game possible for you."
There's also a new feature that lets you zoom in close to observe citizens going about their jobs and lives. It's called "Zoom Stories" which is a bad name for what sounds like a great feature.One jarring aspect to the Frostpunk 2 beta was how detached from the city I felt while playing: since I couldn't peer down at individual people, I never really felt much connection to the city I was building.
"Frostpunk 2 plays out on a much larger scale, but we want to give you an opportunity to get close to your citizens as much as possible even in this new frame," the studio said about the new feature.
There are plans to reveal more details about what's changing in Frostpunk 2 in the months ahead. "From now until the release, we will share with you behind-the-scenes updates so you can see how these additions are coming to life," the studio said. "It’s reading all of your observations that made us realise we can do even better and push ourselves even harder."
