A typo in a promotional article for Cities: Skylines 2 caused a lot of confusion in the community, as it suggested that the game’s play area would be much larger than it actually appears. While developer Colossal Order was quick to chime in to correct the misinformation, the community is now less than happy with what was actually said.
Some are already suggesting that Cities: Skylines 2 may have been bitten too much, and this new controversy that is brewing could add fuel to the fire. While most of the game’s reveals so far have been fairly promising, the amount of actual playable terrain is a particularly notable point of contention, and it remains to be seen how things will pan out ahead of the game’s September release window.
Specifically, the Colossal Order recently explained that Cities: Skylines 2 will offer maps with a total area of 159 square kilometers, correcting a previous statement of 175 square kilometers. The developer didn’t offer any further insight as to what exactly this means, but some in the community are very upset about this development, as it suggests that the actual game area may end up being smaller than the original game area, despite the modifications, Cities: Skylines game.
A handy map comparison posted by Twitter user AgentAlways illustrates the problem. It’s worth noting that although Skylines 2’s presumed maximum level size is a bit larger than the original game, it still falls short of the modded version of the game, and since most of the community relies on the mod, it’s considered to be expected for the new game baseline. At the same time, it’s worth emphasizing that Cities: Skylines 2’s unique buildings should add more variety than before.
While there’s no doubting the sequel’s complexity and depth, Colossal Order may have a hard time shaking off community concerns about map size, as seen in the surprising Xbox Games Showcase. Of course, sheer map size is a tough measure of a good city builder, but it’s not hard to see why some fans might be disappointed by this development.
Naturally, there’s plenty of reason to be excited about the game, especially for those of you who never really got around to filling in all 81 modded tiles available in the original Skylines, as it’s a really big open space . Those who can’t wait until October may want to stick with the old title, though, as Cities: Skylines is getting some exciting DLC ahead of the sequel’s release, with the new mini-expansion pack being a notable highlight.
Cities Skylines 2 launches on October 24, 2023 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.