Eight years and 12 million sales later, Cities: Skylines there is a sequel. Cities: Skylines II is due 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 existing community of the series, it will support advanced modification capabilities. Cities: Skylines II 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 the disappointing Sim City reboot. Colossal Order has been constantly updating its city-builder since launch: In addition to purchasable assets, the sim received a dozen mainline gameplay expansions that basically rebuilt its systems for the industry, education, parks and airports. the Cities: Skylines now looks completely different from the game that came in 2015.
Mods and community assets are a big part of Cities: Skylines’ success story. There are hundreds of thousands of free, user-created assets available for the game on Steam, and the most popular mods count over 2 million subscribers, improving key mechanics such as road building. and traffic management. A thriving YouTube community has grown up around the game, with virtual (and real!) city planners offering tips and building demonstrations in hundreds of episodes. The game attracted more than 5.5 million new players in 2022 alone.
Colossal Order says Cities: Skylines II has a “fully realized transportation and economy system, extensive building and customization options, and advanced modding capabilities.” The original Cities: Skylines will celebrate its eighth birthday on March 10 and Colossal Order promises more information about the sequel in the coming months.
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