Cities: Skylines 2 has been a mixed bag for players since its recent launch. However, a twist in the tale unfolds as Colossal Order, the masterminds behind this city simulation game, announces a strategic decision in a recent update. CEO Mariina Hallikainen and the Colossal Order team are opting to delay the release of the eagerly anticipated expansion packs. While this news might disappoint some players initially, it carries a promising undertone for Skylines enthusiasts.
Plans have changed for Cities Skylines 2
The much-anticipated Beach Properties asset pack, initially set for Q4 2023, is now rescheduled to Q1 2024. Additionally, the Urban Promenades and Modern Architecture creator packs, originally planned for Q1 2024, are now pushed back to Q2 2024. Even the commitment of three extra radio stations, part of the expansion pass, has been delayed to Q2 2024. Though this might seem like a setback for gamers keen on exploring new features in their virtual cities, the decision comes with good reason.
At the beginning of this month, Colossal Order made a noteworthy promise: no paid DLC for Cities: Skylines 2 until the game’s performance issues meet their high standards. In a straightforward acknowledgment, CEO Mariina Hallikainen apologized for the delay and outlined the studio’s priorities: improving performance, fixing bugs, and beefing up modding and Editor support. The studio aims to tackle numerous issues before unlocking Skylines 2’s full potential. For the full announcement, click here.
Specifically, we are working on the level of detail models for the assets. This includes both adding missing LODs and improving the existing ones to improve the GPU performance. It might take more than one patch to address all of them, but we’ll roll out the first fixes as soon as possible. Following the asset and LOD fixes, we’ll work on improvements to CPU performance. This means focusing on the CPU stutters and simulation performance to improve simulation speed and smooth experience while scaling up the size of your cities.
Mariina Hallikainen
Colossal Order’s focus is crystal clear – they’re dedicated to boosting performance, fixing bugs, and enhancing modding and Editor support. Hallikainen stressed that work on the first asset pack will only start after the team is satisfied with performance improvements. The top priority is evident: improving performance. Second is bug fixes, with the team actively addressing around 100 reproducible issues and investigating an additional 100 reported by vigilant players. Finally, the team is working on introducing a map editor and mod support for Cities: Skylines 2, adding more creative options to the gaming experience.
As Colossal Order shifts its focus from quick fixes to more comprehensive patches, the recent developer diary indicates less frequent updates but larger patches for Cities: Skylines 2. While the initial release of modding tools may take a few months, Hallikainen assured the Skylines community that a “concrete timeline” is in progress. In this transition, players can expect a more refined and immersive experience in the near future.
Featured image credit: Paradox Interactive
