Xbox and Obsidian just shared the Grounded 2 Early Access roadmap — here’s when the Game Pass sequel is getting new updates and content

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Among the major Xbox titles this year, Grounded 2 has made its debut. This is a sequel to Obsidian Entertainment’s successful 2020 open-world survival game, which is one of three games set for release in 2025 by the developer (the others being Avowed and an upcoming version of The Outer Worlds 2).

The game is now available for Early Access/Game Preview on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, Steam, and it’s also accessible through Xbox Game Pass. It offers cross-progression support for Xbox Play Anywhere. You can purchase it directly for $29.99, or opt for the $39.99 Minotaurs, Myrmidons, and Mants: Oh My! Founder’s Edition which comes with extra cosmetics, a digital artbook, and soundtrack.

Initially, Grounded 2 offers a significantly expanded gameplay experience compared to the original Grounded at its 1.0 release. Key features include a sprawling Brookhollow Park map that’s already as large as the Backyard when only a fifth of it is explored, an array of new character build, crafting gear, and base construction options, rideable insect mounts such as ant soldiers and orb weaver spiders, among other enhancements.

As Grounded 2 moves through its Early Access phase, this “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids!”-inspired game has potential to expand significantly. Shortly after the game’s launch, Obsidian unveiled a roadmap detailing their development plans for the coming year and beyond. Here it is:

[Insert Roadmap Image or Link]

The plan unveils that Grounded 2 is set to get substantial, seasonal updates, such as one for Autumn 2025, Winter 2025, and Summer 2026. Further updates beyond these points are currently regarded as long-term goals. However, I’m confident we’ll see a revised plan with precise release dates and more release windows as the development process advances.

In the upcoming autumn update, you’ll encounter the AXL boss, rumored to be a lethal tarantula spider. Defeating it will grant you opportunities to craft various gear, furniture, and other items. Furthermore, this update includes enhancements to the game experience, such as a building grid for easier base construction, and pouches for your buggy mounts.

This upcoming winter update will incorporate updated features and equipment similar to those found in the initial Grounded, such as Sour damage and PEEP.R binoculars, along with new creatures like the ladybug buggy, cricket, and earwig bugs. Additionally, it will offer additional outfits, furniture, and defense items for your base. Furthermore, it will support Steam Deck verification, Steam Deck-compatible crossplay with other platforms, and enhanced compatibility with the ASUS ROG Ally.

Next summer, we anticipate significant updates for Grounded’s Smoothies, which include enhancements in swimming abilities, water bug mounts, gear suitable for aquatic environments, and the creation of “water bases”. Moving forward, nearly every aspect of the game will be growing and evolving.

It’s worth mentioning that three parts, scheduled for winter, summer, and an uncertain date, have been blacked out in the plan. However, the green tree symbol beside them suggests they are planned expansions for Brookhollow Park. These areas, as Obsidian has hinted, are likely to be the large new map sections that we’re expecting, since only a small portion of Brookhollow Park is accessible for exploration at present.

It appears that Xbox and Obsidian are set on a strategy to regularly update Grounded with seasonal updates, aiming for consistency in new content delivery. However, we’ll have to wait and see how everything unfolds. I hope they also release smaller updates and hotfixes to tackle crucial bugs along the way, not those buggy kind!

To date, Grounded 2 has received much positive acclaim from critics. In our Early Access review, my colleague Zachary Boddy stated that “Grounded 2 is significantly larger and much more ambitious” than its previous version, with my other colleague Samuel Tolbert expressing his increased excitement to see where it’s heading after trying it out.

Interestingly, Steam has been a bit bumpy for this game initially. Despite surpassing Grounded’s player count record of 32,012 on Tuesday afternoon, peaking at an impressive 49,836, it currently holds a “Mixed” review score with only 67% of its 747 user reviews being positive.

Critical comments express dissatisfaction with very suboptimal functionality and speed, but it could be said that such problems are exactly the ones that Early Access allows developers to address prior to releasing games fully.

If you’re considering diving into Obsidian’s sequel, it’s beneficial to bear in mind this fact. If you own Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass, I suggest utilizing them to play, as they can prevent the hassle of purchasing a game that might not run smoothly on your system. For those who don’t have Game Pass yet, you can grab a month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for only $10.19 instead of the regular $19.99 at CDKeys.

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2025-07-30 02:39