11 bit studios has exciting news for fans of the Frostpunk series: they've announced Frostpunk 1886, a remake of the original game, set to launch in 2027. This announcement comes just over six months after the release of Frostpunk 2, and if the release timeline holds, it will mark nearly a decade since the first Frostpunk game debuted in 2018.
Frostpunk is a unique city-building survival game set in an alternate late 19th-century world, where players must navigate the challenges of a global volcanic winter. The game involves constructing and managing a city, making crucial survival decisions, and exploring the surroundings for additional survivors, resources, and other essential items.
IGN gave the original Frostpunk a stellar 9/10, praising it as an "engaging and unique, if occasionally unintuitive, strategy game" that skillfully blends various themes and gameplay elements. Frostpunk 2, while receiving a slightly lower score of 8/10, was commended for its expanded scale and increased social and political complexity, even if it lost some of the original's intimacy.
Despite the new project, 11 bit studios remains committed to supporting Frostpunk 2 with free updates, a console launch, and planned DLCs. The shift to Frostpunk 1886 comes as the studio's proprietary Liquid Engine, used in both Frostpunk and This War of Mine, is no longer in development. The team has been seeking a new engine to continue the legacy of the first game, and they've chosen Unreal Engine 5 for this remake.
Frostpunk 1886 is named to commemorate a crucial moment in the game's universe timeline—the Great Storm that engulfed New London. This isn't just a visual refresh; it expands on the original game with new content, mechanics, laws, and an entirely new "Purpose" path, promising a fresh experience for both new players and veterans.
By leveraging Unreal Engine, 11 bit studios aims to make Frostpunk 1886 a living, expandable platform. This includes the introduction of long-awaited mod support, which was previously unfeasible due to the original engine's limitations, as well as the potential for future DLCs.
The studio envisions a future where both Frostpunk 2 and Frostpunk 1886 will evolve in parallel, each pushing the boundaries of survival in their unique ways. Alongside these projects, 11 bit studios is also working on another game, The Alters, expected to be released in June.
