Challenges and Progress in Cities: Skylines 2 Development
Over the past two years, Cities: Skylines 2 has navigated a tumultuous journey, marked by an early launch in 2023 that exposed players to significant technical challenges and delayed updates. However, recent developments indicate a renewed focus on enhancing the player experience. The introduction of November’s bike patch, which incorporated bicycles, scooters, and related infrastructure into user-generated cities, has been a welcome addition. Furthermore, the long-awaited asset editor has finally made its debut, much to the delight of the community.
In a candid post on Steam, developer Colossal Order acknowledged that the asset editor’s development has been “long underway,” with community demand intensifying since the sequel’s launch. The team admitted that the integration of the editor proved to be more technically complex than initially expected, citing challenges such as persistent Unity dependencies and the extensive range of built-in assets impacted by this new feature. To assist users, the official wiki now offers comprehensive guides detailing the functionality of the asset editor.
As Colossal Order prepares to transition away from its partnership with publisher Paradox Interactive, the asset editor stands as the final significant enhancement for Cities: Skylines 2. While both companies have remained vague about the reasons for their split, they have expressed that this decision is aimed at securing “the strongest possible future” for the franchise. This move follows a pattern observed with Paradox, which has previously shifted other struggling projects to new development teams, such as Bloodlines 2 and the elusive Prison Architect 2.
Looking ahead, the stewardship of Cities: Skylines 2 will soon be handed over to Iceflake Studios, known for its work on Surviving the Aftermath. As January approaches, the future trajectory of Skylines 2 remains uncertain, but Iceflake has assured the community that it will unveil its plans in the near future, promising to keep players informed about the next chapter in this evolving saga.
