11 bit studios has exciting news for fans of their critically acclaimed city-building survival game, Frostpunk. The Polish developer recently announced a remake titled Frostpunk 1886, set to release in 2027. This announcement comes just over half a year after the launch of Frostpunk 2, making it nearly a decade since the original Frostpunk debuted in 2018.
Frostpunk 1886 will be built on Unreal Engine 5, marking a significant upgrade from the studio's proprietary Liquid Engine, which powered both the original Frostpunk and This War of Mine. This shift to Unreal Engine 5 is aimed at enhancing the game's capabilities and fulfilling long-standing community requests, such as mod support.
Set in an alternate history of the late 19th century, Frostpunk challenges players to build and manage a city amidst a global volcanic winter. The game involves resource management, survival choices, and exploration beyond the city limits for survivors and essential resources.
IGN's review of the original Frostpunk awarded it a stellar 9/10, praising its unique blend of thematic ideas and gameplay elements: "Frostpunk deftly mixes a variety of thematic ideas and gameplay elements into an engaging and unique, if occasionally unintuitive, strategy game."
Frostpunk 2, while still well-received, scored an 8/10 from IGN. The review noted, "Thanks to a ground-up rethinking of its ice-age city builder mechanics, Frostpunk 2's larger scale is less intimate but more socially and politically complex than the original."
Despite working on the new project, 11 bit studios remains committed to supporting Frostpunk 2 with free major content updates, a console launch, and additional DLCs. The studio emphasized that Frostpunk 1886 is not just a visual overhaul but a significant expansion of the original game, introducing new content, mechanics, laws, and a fresh "Purpose path" for an enriched gameplay experience.
"Frostpunk 1886 is named to honor a pivotal moment in the game's universe, the Great Storm's descent upon New London. By leveraging Unreal Engine, we aim to transform Frostpunk into a living, expandable platform, fulfilling community demands like mod support and future DLCs," 11 bit studios stated.
The studio envisions a future where both Frostpunk 2 and Frostpunk 1886 evolve concurrently, each offering unique paths of survival in the relentless cold.
In addition to these Frostpunk projects, 11 bit studios is also gearing up for the release of their next game, The Alters, expected in June.
