All articles tagged with #grounded 2
Grounded 2 surged 220.7% in Xbox players after its Into the Abyss update and its debut on Game Pass Premium, returning to the Xbox Top 40 at #27; the survival game remains in Early Access with no achievements yet, and the update also added cross‑play with PS5 owners and coincided with a PS5 release.
Grounded 2’s biggest content update, Into the Abyss, opens a vast underwater realm in Brookhollow Park with new diving gear, underwater base building, and a host of new foes and resources. Players can traverse submerged caverns, unlock deeper progression, and use the amphibious Toe Biter Buggy. The update also brings PlayStation 5 support during Early Access and broad platform availability (Xbox, PC, Steam, Game Pass).
August's Game Pass lineup features Beast of Reincarnation from Game Freak, the Gears of War: E‑Day open beta with PvP, and the quirky Date Everything! dating-sim; plus Grounded 2 and other titles like Ball x Pit, PowerWash Simulator 2, Mio: Memories in Orbit, Sandustry, and Egging On arriving soon. Aliens: Fireteam Elite and Firewatch are leaving mid‑August. The update comes amid a major Xbox restructuring and a price cut for Game Pass under new boss Asha Sharma, as the company navigates ongoing job cuts.
Xbox Game Pass announces a bustling August lineup headlined by Gears of War: E-Day Open Beta (available Aug 6 for Ultimate/PC Game Pass), plus day-one releases and updates such as Heretic + Hexen, Beast of Reincarnation, Monsters are Coming!, Grounded 2: Into The Abyss, Cricket 26, Date Everything!, PowerWash Simulator 2, Bounty Star, Mio: Memories in Orbit, Sandustry and Egging On. Also on tap: a Madden NFL 27 EA Play trial, a Call of Duty: Warzone bundle, and classic Xbox originals arriving on PC/handheld; with several titles leaving Game Pass on Aug 15.Overall, a busy month of additions, previews, and removals for subscribers.
Grounded 2's Beat the Heat update introduces King Dozer, the game’s largest boss with a fiery arena that urges players to manage heat and cooling, along with expanded Buggy progression, a new Black Soldier Ant Buggy, and the Sinkhole Anthill, boosting build customization, combat depth, and exploration.
Eidos Montreal, the studio behind Deus Ex and Tomb Raider, is laying off 124 employees and parting ways with longtime studio head David Anfossi as part of Embracer Group’s ongoing downsizing. The company cited changing project needs across production and support as the reason for the cuts. Eidos Montreal is reportedly still involved with upcoming Grounded 2 from Obsidian and a reimagined Fable from Playground Games, though the studio’s current projects were not specified in its notice.
Obsidian says Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 did not meet the sales targets set by Microsoft, and its leadership plans to shorten development times and use smaller budgets with 3–4 year cycles. Grounded 2 remains a smaller project, and there’s intent for more Avowed in the future while PS5 release timing could help. Microsoft/Xbox reportedly holds a ~30% profit target per Bloomberg reporting, but Obsidian emphasizes continuing to take creative risks even if profitability targets aren’t always met.
Obsidian is recalibrating its production cadence after Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 underperformed, while Grounded 2 thrived; leadership says they will curb scope, budgets, and development time to enable more frequent, sustainable releases under Microsoft’s oversight.
Grounded 2's The Toxic Tangle update adds a new Garden biome with fresh threats and gear, introduces rideable Ladybug Buggy mounts, expands mutations, enhances the builder toolkit, and previews Playgrounds Mode, all while expanding the Founder’s Pack with new customization options.
The inaugural New Game Plus Showcase revealed updates and upcoming titles for Xbox Game Pass, including new versions of Avowed, Grounded 2, Towerborne, and exclusive looks at third-party games Aphelion and Denshattack!, with release dates spanning early 2026.
Grounded 2, Obsidian's sequel to the popular survival game, has recently launched in early access on Xbox Game Pass, sparking interest and positive early impressions among players, with anticipation for the full release.
Grounded 2, the sequel to Obsidian's popular survival game, is now available in Early Access on Xbox and PC, featuring a larger map, new gameplay options, and a detailed roadmap for future updates including seasonal content, new bosses, and expanded game mechanics. The game is praised for its ambition and size, with ongoing development plans to expand the game world and features over the next year.
Grounded 2 offers an expanded and visually improved insect-world experience with new story elements, equipment, and mounts, but its gameplay can feel frustrating and grindy, especially solo, with challenges that may hinder progress until multiplayer support is fully utilized.
Grounded 2's early access version shows significant improvements over the original, with enhanced RPG mechanics, new classes, mountable insect pets, and a more engaging story, despite technical issues and limited content. It promises to be a standout survival game as development continues.
Grounded 2, the sequel to Obsidian's survival game, will be released in early access on July 29 and features system requirements that support older hardware, including nearly 10-year-old graphics cards and CPUs. The game size is 40 GB, five times larger than the original, but should be accessible for most gamers with modern PCs. It will be available on Xbox and PC via Xbox Game Pass and for purchase, promising a larger map, new gameplay features, and expanded content.