Upcoming Patch and Content Update

We have finalized the initial iteration of the economy overhaul, and the patch is currently undergoing final touches. Both our internal team and Beta testers signal promising progress, and we are eager to share these enhancements with you soon. Although this patch won’t address every issue, we intend to extend its preparation by a few weeks to integrate more of the valuable feedback from our Beta testers thoroughly. The patch aims to respond to community suggestions regarding economic management, amplifying its significance, increasing the challenge, and clarifying the impact of player decisions on the economy. We are anticipating a release window between June 3rd and June 19th, with more details to follow in upcoming Developer Diaries.

Due to the extended revision period for the economy patch, the Creator Packs will be postponed to post-summer. Although these packs require minimal implementation time from Colossal Order, we aim to ensure the economy patch delivers the desired outcomes and allows us ample time to consider your feedback before releasing any new premium content. Therefore, the Creator Packs will be scheduled for release after the summer break.

In line with Swedish and Finnish vacation laws and union agreements, both Paradox Interactive and Colossal Order observe a general holiday period during July and parts of August, during which employees are entitled to four consecutive weeks of vacation. As a result, our staffing levels are reduced both in development and publishing. To avoid potential risks when patching the game, we prefer to schedule updates outside this period to ensure we have the necessary personnel on hand to address any critical issues promptly. Thus, no patches or updates are planned for July or early August.

The upcoming patch, primarily focusing on the economy, will also include several other requested enhancements, such as updates to the building upgrade system. This will allow for more flexible placement of building upgrades around main structures and the ability to delete or move specific upgrades. Detailed patch notes will be provided as usual.

The subsequent patch, expected after summer, will introduce free content and other frequently requested features like new service buildings and vehicles, along with a surface tool to provide more freedom in painting areas around structures. We are also progressing with resolving the technical challenges impeding the release of the asset editor; however, we cannot yet confirm if it will be included in the first post-summer patch, but we are striving to make it possible.

A Beta build was delivered at the end of April and has undergone rigorous performance and stability testing. Unfortunately, the results reveal that the stability and performance benchmarks have not yet been met. Enhancing stability and FPS is our top priority for console versions. Our team is working diligently to resolve these issues and remains hopeful about an October release. However, be advised that the likelihood of achieving this timeline is diminishing, and further delays are possible.

We have two dedicated testing groups providing invaluable feedback prior to public releases: a long-standing group of committed modders and a newer assembly of community representatives and prominent modders who joined last year through an application process. Recently, we held a closer meeting with community representatives to gather insights and suggestions reflective of their wider audiences. After the economy patch is released, we will conduct a survey to collect broader community feedback, ensuring we continue making decisions aligned with your experiences. We are also continuously reviewing posts on our official channels and deeply value the constructive feedback received in recent weeks.

Thank you for being an integral part of our community and for your enduring enthusiasm for Cities: Skylines II. Stay tuned for further updates on the economy patch and upcoming content.

// The Cities Team

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