The first stage of Cities: Skylines 2‘s long-awaited in-game modding support launches on March 25 alongside its first post-launch asset pack, called Beach Properties.
Colossal Order’s troubled city-builder sequel launched in October 2023 on PC via Steam and immediately ran into a number of issues. Player sentiment turned a ‘mixed’ Steam user review rating into ‘mostly negative’ for recent reviews, with the first Cities Skylines game currently enjoying more players than its sequel. Last month, Colossal Order CEO Mariina Hallikainen admitted the lack of modding support was the developer’s “biggest regret”.
Now, nearly six months after launch, Cities: Skylines 2’s first stage of mod support approaches, and is set to let players build, share, and play with mods through a simple in-game interface. Here’s the detail, from Colossal Order:
Starting on March 25, players will be able to access mods through the Cities: Skylines 2 Modding Beta. Upon release, an in-game editor will be available that allows for players to create or implement Map or Code mods. Using the Paradox Mods platform, also integrated into the Cities: Skylines 2 experience, creations can be played locally and shared globally.
The platform also allows players to discover and curate other available mods, organize their preferred mods into one-click Playsets, and more. Asset modding tools and other options will be made available later this year.
“Modding is part of the lifeblood of Cities: Skylines, and starting our Modding Beta is going to be a transformative step for Cities: Skylines 2,” said Hallikainen. “The creativity and feedback from our players are what makes this community what it is. We can’t wait to see how everyone puts these tools to use, and work alongside them to make sure everyone is empowered to make the cities of their dreams.”
The Beach Properties DLC, meanwhile, will be available on PC for $9.99/£8.49/€9.99, or as part of the Cities: Skylines 2 Waterfronts Expansion Pass or Ultimate Edition. In addition to Beach Properties, a new in-game Radio, the Deluxe Relax Station will be released on March 25, featuring a new host and a full hour of new music. Deluxe Relax Station will be available for $4.99/£4.49/€4.99 or as part of the Cities: Skylines 2 Waterfronts Expansion Pass or Ultimate Edition.
Cities: Skylines 2’s problems began before its launch even arrived. Colossal Order warned players the game would release with performance issues a week before it came out. Since then, players have been met with lower framerates and interesting dental glitches as the developer worked to create a better experience. In IGN’s Cities: Skylines 2 review, which returned a 6/10, we said: “Cities: Skylines 2 is an ambitious sequel that might have bitten off more than it can chew – be prepared to do a lot of terraforming if you don't want your metropolis to look like a nightmare.” The console version does not have a release date.
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.
