In 2025, Obsidian Entertainment, part of Xbox Game Studios, has been quite occupied with a variety of projects. They released Pillars of Eternity RPG titled Avowed in February, followed by The Outer Worlds 2, which is similar to Fallout: New Vegas, and later this year, they introduced Grounded 2 into Early Access/Game Preview at the end of July. So far, that’s three games from the studio released within a year.
2020’s hit open-world survival game sequel took everyone by surprise when it was revealed during the Xbox Games Showcase in June. As its release date of July on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, Steam, and Xbox Game Pass approached, anticipation for it grew steadily.
The significant surge of interest has led to a strong launch for Grounded 2. Not only has it surpassed, in its first day alone, the highest number of players ever recorded for the initial game on Steam, but it also maintained the top spot on Steam’s Best Sellers list for several days following its release.
As an analyst, I’m thrilled to share that I’ve recently observed the player base of Grounded surpassing the impressive milestone of three million players across multiple platforms. During a recent developer livestream, our esteemed executive producer, Marcus Morgan, proudly announced this exciting news.
The success it’s experiencing now outshines the initial performance of “Grounded” during its Early Access phase, and truthfully, I find it astonishing to witness such a large number of people exploring this game, which resembles “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids,” so quickly, only two weeks after its release.
Certainly, a significant factor behind Grounded 2’s initial success can be attributed to its availability on both Xbox and PC, through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass respectively. With over 34 million subscribers for Xbox Game Pass alone, fans interested in playing Obsidian’s work-in-progress game have the opportunity to do so without any initial cost, making it more accessible to a larger audience.
Despite some initial performance issues on PC that led to mixed early reviews, the overall quality of Grounded 2 has been widely praised by both critics and players. It currently boasts a rating of around 4.5/5 stars on Xbox and a “Mostly Positive” status on Steam, based on close to 10,000 user reviews. In our Early Access review, we described its launch as exceptional.
Despite being newly released in Early Access, the upcoming sequel is already bigger than Grounded was upon its full release in 2022. Initially, its Brookhollow Park map matches the size of the first game’s Backyard, but it will expand to an impressive five times that size over time.
In addition, it offers a more diverse range of bugs to come across, different environments and biomes to discover, as well as options for crafting bases and building structures. The game also boasts enhanced lighting and visual quality compared to the original version. You can even domesticate “Buggy” creatures such as ants and spiders, which can serve as useful companions in battles or transportation.
As an analyst, I’ve been closely following Obsidian’s plans for upcoming content updates. Recently, they unveiled their official roadmap, which outlines the game’s gradual advancement towards its complete “1.0” version. The first significant update we can anticipate is the Fall Update, focusing primarily on a formidable tarantula boss named AXL.
Following this, we have the Winter Update – an extensive content release that will encompass Steam Deck compatibility testing, a ladybug-themed Buggy mount, introducing insects such as crickets and earwigs, new gear sets for crafting, and the introduction of fresh and refined mechanics like Sour and Coziness, among many other exciting features.
After the upcoming summer season, players can anticipate a refreshing water-themed expansion featuring aquatic creatures like water bugs, the option to construct bases over water bodies, and additional features. As time goes on, all aspects of the gameplay will be progressively enhanced in subsequent updates; however, the release dates for these updates have not been specified yet.
It’s important to mention that most of these updates are expected to enlarge Brookhollow Park by including a fresh zone. This expansion of the map will offer players exciting new territories to discover. Furthermore, as you explore these new areas, you can expect to encounter various new creatures and resources, making it worthwhile to venture beyond your familiar surroundings.
Currently, Grounded 2 is playable across various platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC via Xbox, and Steam. Plus, with Xbox Play Anywhere, you can seamlessly transition progress between these two platforms. The game retails at $29.99 for a direct purchase, or you can opt to use your Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass subscription instead.
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2025-08-13 22:42