Eight years and 12 million sales later, Cities: Skylines is getting a sequel. Cities: Skylines II is due to come out in 2023 on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles, from original developer Colossal Order and publisher Paradox Interactive. The new simulator will offer expanded toolsets and mechanics, and importantly for the series’ existing community, it’ll support advanced modding capabilities. Cities: Skylines II will allow players to grow small villages into bustling metropolises, and then implement detailed construction, transportation, industry and economic systems.
The original Cities: Skylines came out in 2015 and filled the void left by EA after its disappointing Sim City reboot. Colossal Order has consistently updated its city-builder since launch: In addition to purchasable assets, the sim has received a dozen mainline gameplay expansions that’ve fundamentally rebuilt its systems for industry, education, parks and airports. The Cities: Skylines of today looks completely different from the game that arrived in 2015.
Mods and community assets are a huge part of Cities: Skylines’ success story. There are hundreds of thousands of free, user-created assets available for the game on Steam, and its most popular mods count over 2 million subscribers, improving essential mechanics like road-building and traffic management. A thriving YouTube community has grown around the game, with virtual (and real!) city planners offering tips and showcasing builds across hundreds of episodes. The game attracted more than 5.5 million new players in 2022 alone.
Colossal Order says Cities: Skylines II has “fully-realized transport and economy systems, a wealth of construction and customization options, and advanced modding capabilities.” The original Cities: Skylines will celebrate its eighth birthday on March 10th and Colossal Order promises more information about the sequel over the coming months.
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Jessica Conditt