The developer and publisher of Cities: Skylines 2 have admitted the game’s performance isn’t up to scratch, but insisted they will launch the hotly anticipated city builder on PC as planned on October 24.
Developer Colossal Order and publisher Paradox issued a joint statement to fans left concerned after Cities: Skylines 2’s minimum and recommended specs were raised.
“Cities: Skylines 2 is a next-gen title, and naturally, it demands certain hardware requirements,” Colossal Order said. “With that said, while our team has worked tirelessly to deliver the best experience possible, we have not achieved the benchmark we targeted.”
While it’s highly unusual for a developer to issue a warning about an upcoming game’s performance, Colossal Order said it took the decision because “we’ve always believed in transparency”.
Even with these potential performance issues in mind, Colossal Order said it will release Cities: Skylines 2 next week, hitting the current release date. “We still think for the long-term of the project, releasing now is the best way forward,” the developer said. “We are proud of the unique gameplay and features in Cities: Skylines 2, and we genuinely believe that it offers a great experience that you will enjoy.”
Colossal Order said it will “continually improve” the game over the coming months, “but we also want to manage expectations on performance for the coming release.”
“Our ambition is for Cities: Skylines 2 to be enjoyed by as many players as possible, and we’re committed to ensuring it reaches its full potential.”
In an additional note to press, Colossal Order further explained its position. “Colossal Order and Paradox are 100% aware Cities: Skylines 2 requires high-end hardware for high-end performance, and they want to ensure that players are also aware of this. They are going to keep working on performance as more feedback is received from players worldwide, but the game is not being delayed, and so players should keep the recommended specs in mind.”
In an FAQ, Paradox and Colossal Order admitted some PC gamers will experience performance issues. “It all depends on your PC configuration,” the pair said. “Some will experience issues, some will not. It also depends on how high your graphic settings are compared to your hardware.”
Last month, Paradox and Colossal Order delayed the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S version of Cities: Skylines 2 from the planned October launch to some point during spring 2024, and issued refunds to those who had pre-ordered.
Meanwhile, Paradox said modding will become available in Cities: Skylines 2 shortly after the PC launch. When the game launches on console, console players will be able to use asset mods, too, which means Cities: Skylines 2 will be one of the rare video games that allows cross-platform mods.
However, Cities: Skylines 2 will not support other platforms such as Steam Workshop. “We have decided to have Paradox Mods as our platform, as it allows us to have cross-platform modding compatibility,” the FAQ reads. “We also wanted mods to be more easily accessible in game, which we are able to do with Paradox Mods.”
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
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