11 bit studios revisits the first game with Frostpunk: 1886, a remake out in 2027, but in the meantime, it has a major new update for Frostpunk 2. Available now on PC, it adds a new map, The Pit, to the Utopia Builder, which fans will know from Frostpunk 1. Of course, that’s not all – check out the trailer for more details.
Other new content includes Tales from the Frostland, optional challenges with unique quests and stories for Utopia Builder. Completing them unlocks a new Monument Hub, but failing will immediately end the run. You can enable as many as you’d like for added challenge.
Other changes include overhauled heating, with district-specific temperature settings (and consequences). The new Heatmap view will showcase how each district is faring and how well they’re heated. You can also look forward to a new law, five reworked laws, two new buildings, nine new research topics, and three revamped technologies.
And for those who seek a less stressful experience, Serenity Mode returns from the first game, removing the Fervor system, granting extensive resources, and making the weather less harsh.
Check out the full patch notes below for more details. Frostpunk 2 is available exclusively on PC, with Xbox Series X/S and PS5 versions coming later this Summer.
Patch 1.3 Highlights
Full Patch notes:
Gameplay
- Updated gameplay feature – Heat management. Heat management has been reworked with a focus on locality.
– Districts now have local heat levels, replacing the global heat demand concept
– Each district now has several basic heat levels. Freezing, Very Cold, Cold, Chilly, Livable, Warm, each with local effects.
– Heat levels can be increased by distributing heat from the generator through Heat Allocation, with multiple levels of allocation available
– District proximity effects now apply to one city cell individually; previously, 3 cells were required for the effect to apply
– Each Housing District now have the exact number of people it can accommodate
– Every Community and Faction can now occupy an individual district
– New city overlay related to Heat Management
– Revamped Laws and Research which previously affected Heat demand, now relate to Heat Levels
– New Research is available in the Research Institute to support reworked heating mechanics - New Utopia Builder set of settings – Tales from the frostland. New challenges that expand the Utopia Builder experience, adding depth to both difficulty and narrative.
– Beacon of Hope – Provide shelter and resources for all newcomers escaping their fallen city
– Apocalyptic Whiteout – Survive a catastrophic and long Whiteout
– Depleted Cores – Search the frostland to restore an unfinished IEC Core Factory
– Beating each challenge unlocks a buildable Monument - New Utopia Builder difficulty setting – Serenity mode. Relaxed mode with an easier start, mild weather, abundant resources, shorter whiteouts and no faction wars.
- New Utopia Builder map – The Pit. Plan around a failed Generator construction site and try to create a thriving city.
- The district area can now be readjusted after its construction, along with the building placement.
Balance
- The generator can now produce a limited amount of power. Additional power levels are unlocked via research.
- Adaptation cornerstone now nullifies the consequences of Chilly temperatures.
- Workers’ Shifts and Apex Workers now reduce sickliness produced by non-housing districts.
- Waste Heat Conversion now makes extraction districts generate heat proximity and disease.
- Heatpipe Watch children’s fallback allows activating additional Heatpipe Watch as an ability.
- Rebalanced the early stages of Prologue, granting a smoother entry with an opening at the midpoint of the playthrough
- Expanded randomisation of frostland in Utopia Builder
- Frostbreaker cost is now counted per cell instead of per usage
- Housing district rebalance
- Removed 3rd tier upgrade
- Base Housing District now has an available Special Building slot
Interface
- District panels have been refreshed to follow gameplay changes
- Generator panel redesign
- Chapter selection settings menu redesign
- Updated the city needs top widget to reflect heat management changes and put more emphasis on temperature
- New tutorial modals explaining District Temperature, District Abilities and Community Actions
- Clicking on the empty Building slot on the District Panel now brings up the Building construction panel.
- Districts now have their unique names.
- Deaths, injuries and absentee notifications are displayed over the affected districts.
- Moved economy overlays from the bottom right to the top left
- Improved visibility of Hostile relations with Factions and Communities
Art
- Improved overall district visuals. Toggleable in settings, so Steward can choose between planned and organic urban layout.
- Steward can now select where the Building slot will be placed within the constructed district.
- Refreshed some of the Buildings visuals
- Improved visibility of Buildings in the district
- A lot of new artwork for narrative events
- New artwork for district panels to reflect the current heating level in the district
- Updated and expanded artwork for story mode faction/community frontmen
- Improved city life visuals
- Improved road pathfinding logic
- New visual effect for cells selected for District construction
Other
- Upgraded game engine to Unreal Engine 5.4.3
- Optimized loading and saving times
- Game performance optimizations
- New achievements:
– Guiding Light
– Apocalypse Nah
– Raiders of the Lost Cores
– Born Ready
– No One Left Behind
– Seen Worse
– Gotta Go Fast
Mods
- Play in Editor is now available in Frostkit
- Mod Menu visual overhaul
- Added a search bar
- Added Cook Mod button inside the Frostkit
- Significant optimizations to Frostkit loading times
- Added multiple tutorials and sample mods to lower the entry threshold for modding community beginners
Beta feedback fixes and improvements
- Fixed the empty input issue
- Proximity effects coming from previously expanded or rebuilt districts will no longer be displayed on city cells during the next district rebuild.
- UI polish and improvements
- Replaced missing artwork for Cold Houses narrative event
- Randomization for finding Core Parts is now seeded
- You can now evade fatalities/injuries when exploring the Core Factory Parts Site by constructing buildings that reduce the Territory Threat Level
- Beacon of Hope upgrade now costs 300 Heatstamps and 250 Prefabs
- Utopia Builder Tales can now be randomized along with other settings
- Fixed no notification sounds for events in districts
- Fixed Serenity mode not using proper fervor setup, so Faction Wars could occur under certain circumstances
- Fixed game freeze caused by faulty modifier in Adaptation Generator
- Fixed crashes which could occur upon establishing the Progress cornerstone
- Fixed a rare Zoom Stories crash
- Fixed a rare crash related to Policies, which could occur on loading a save
- Fixed some other singular crashes
- Some other minor fixes and improvements
