Grounded 2

The announcement of Grounded 2 was one of the biggest surprises at this summer's Xbox Showcase. Just a few weeks after its reveal, the survival adventure is launching in Early Access! There's a lot to look forward to!

Grounded was a huge success for Obsidian Entertainment and Xbox Game Studios. This survival sandbox game was created by a relatively small team at Obsidian and was released in Early Access in July 2020, with the full version following in September 2022. Since 2024, it has also been available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. It now has over 25 million players.

The game is a survival crafting adventure with RPG elements, which can be played either alone or with up to four players in co-op mode. Set in the dense jungle of the survival genre, Grounded stands out with its scenario, which strongly resembles the film Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and is also set in the late 1980s, featuring numerous pop culture references. The four main characters have actually been shrunk to the size of ants, so pebbles and blades of grass become important materials for building the players' shelter while they organise food and water. As they progress through the first part of the game, players turn the entire backyard garden upside down, fight giant spiders, explore creepy ant colonies, and miniature laboratories under the shed, and find a way onto the garden table, where they encounter a small tabletop dungeon. In addition, there is a progression system involving items (armor and weapons), mutations, crafting options, raw science and passive stat upgrades via milk teeth scattered throughout the game world. The creativity of the colourful game world is its strength, and this will be built on in the second part - only everything will be much, much bigger.

The sequel is set in Brookhollow Park, a fictional suburban park whose visual design is inspired by the early 1990s. It is set two years after the events of Grounded. The first area of the new game world alone is expected to be about the same size as the entire game world of the first instalment. There are more story elements, plus the return of Burg.l, and better guidance for players through the game and the game world.

However, there are still many systems that can be explored in greater depth if players wish to do so. One of the most significant improvements is the introduction of the Omni-Tool, which combines the hammer, axe, shovel and wrench into one multipurpose tool, saving valuable backpack space. Although players get the tool fairly early on, they still have to unlock and upgrade its individual functions. Additionally, the game is more class- or archetype-oriented. Initially, there are four, inspired by the warrior, ranger, mage and rogue archetypes. For instance, a Ranger is better suited to fighting from a distance, which should also make it easier to find suitable equipment (weapons, armour and active mutations). However, the system is not overly restrictive; even a rogue with dual daggers can quickly dash in and out of close combat. In combat, players have new dodge and sprint mechanics, while enemy creatures (including new additions such as cockroaches, scorpions and snails) have new actions and behaviours.

The most significant new feature is the ability to ride around on insects, which the developers call "buggies". In the Early Access version, these are a red ant soldier and an orb-weaving spider. Almost everything that can be done on foot can also be done while riding. Players can move, fight, place construction blueprints, build things and cut down and pick up grass. There is also a gather mode that speeds up the process, and the buggie has its own inventory. If players dismount during combat, their companion continues to fight. If a player rides an ant into an ant nest, the other ants won't attack. At the easiest settings (mild or medium), if the buggy is knocked out and not revived, it will respawn at its nest where it must stay to recuperate. However, on the hardest difficulty, there will be permanent death of the companion. And yes, you can pet the companion.

Although many of the new features appear to be quality-of-life improvements, they significantly impact the game's feel and, above all, its pacing. In particular, the buggies make it much easier to get around the world and speed up the search for and collection of resources. This shifts the focus more towards exploring the hugely creative and significantly larger game world, as well as building a functional and attractive base - especially since the technical framework is designed for the current generation of consoles; Grounded even runs on Xbox One. Most importantly, though, the familiar Grounded feel was quickly established in the sequel.

Grounded 2 is Obsidian Entertainment's third release this year, following Avowed (an RPG) in February and The Outer Worlds 2 in October. This time around, however, the studio is receiving a lot of support from co-developer Eidos-Montréal. Chris Parker, one of the founders of Obsidian Entertainment, is serving as game director for the second instalment, and Adam Brenneke, director of the first instalment, has returned to the core team. In any case, the second instalment is significantly larger in scope.

When it launches into Game Preview and Early Access, Grounded 2 will feature Act 1 of the game and a wide array of features designed to support different playstyles and player needs. For example, there will be a creative mode with or without opponents. These include Arachnophobia Safe Mode, colour-blind options, subtitle customisation, narration via Read to Me, adjustable reticles, control settings and more. "We're also committed to supporting the same localized languages from the original Grounded, starting with English, French, Castilian Spanish, German, Italian, Latin American Spanish, and Simplified Chinese at Game Preview/Early Access—with more languages to be added over time," said the developers.

Grounded 2 launched on 29 July 2025 in Game Preview for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC and Xbox Cloud, and in Early Access on Steam with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. During the Game Preview/Early Access period, the Standard Edition will cost €29.99, the Founder's Edition will cost €39.99 and the Founder's Pack upgrade will cost €10.00. The Founder's Edition includes four premium skins, 'ONYX-PRO', an 'Inside the Game' digital artbook and soundtrack, and a decorative set of tool effigies called the 'Tools of Yore'.

The first Early Access roadmap is now available. However, the game still lacks performance optimisations in its current state, and it does not yet support upscaling technologies such as FSR or DLSS.

Conclusion

Grounded 2 picks up where the original game left off, letting Early Access players explore an incredibly fascinating world. The many new features and improvements make the gaming experience more accessible and engaging - especially since the buggies are almost a game changer.

Features

• Large, creative game world that encourages and rewards exploration
• Rideable insects that can be used almost anywhere
• Numerous quality-of-life improvements for solo and co-operative survival Crafting