The original Cities: Skylines first came out back in 2015, but since then it has received several bits of DLC content and made its way to consoles and even VR. Along the way, it has sold millions of copies and cemented itself as the successor to Sim City. We've been expecting a sequel for some time, and today publisher Paradox Interactive and developer Colossal Order has announced that Cities: Skylines II is coming.

And relatively soon too, with a "later this year" 2023 release for PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. The news arrived alongside the following cinematic reveal.



“Cities: Skylines reset the bar for city-building games when it launched eight years ago, and we are incredibly proud of its impact. We built a thriving community around Cities and introduced many to city building for the first time,” said Mariina Hallikainen, CEO of Colossal Order. "Now, we’ve brought the years of experience we’ve gained to take a new step forward in the city builder genre, again, for our community and new players".

“The Cities brand has been an important part of Paradox’s catalog of games for over a decade. Cities: Skylines is a profound success, selling millions of copies, welcoming more than 5.5 million new players just last year, and setting the foundation for Cities: Skylines II,” said Fredrik Wester, CEO of Paradox Interactive. “With unprecedented amounts of customization and player control, Cities: Skylines II will continue to push boundaries for the city-building franchise.”

Gameplay footage and more details are expected later this month. However, it seems that a leak of the game's Xbox Achievements outlines that the game will feature massive 150-tile cities, natural disasters, airports, seasons, and even rat infestations.