Xbox and Obsidian unveil Grounded 2 Early Access development timeline, detailing strike updates and linguistic adjustments scheduled for the Game Pass follow-up
Grounded 2, the highly-anticipated sequel to the 2020 open-world survival game, has been released by Obsidian Entertainment. The game, available on Steam Early Access and Xbox Game Preview, entered the early access phase on July 29, 2025.
The game can be purchased for $29.99, or a $39.99 Founder's Edition that includes bonus cosmetics, a digital artbook, and soundtrack is available. Grounded 2 takes place in Brookhollow Park, a considerably larger map than the original game, where players can ride on ant soldiers and orb weaver spiders.
Obsidian has revealed a roadmap for the next year of development, which includes large, seasonal updates for Fall 2025, Winter 2025, and Summer 2026. The Winter 2025 update will introduce revamped systems and tools from the first Grounded, along with the ladybug buggy, cricket and earwig bugs, and additional sets of gear, furniture, and base defense items.
The Summer 2026 update will overhaul Grounded's Smoothies, improve swimming, introduce water bug mounts, equipment for aquatic environments, and the ability to make "watery bases."
Critics have praised Grounded 2 in early reviews, but some users have reported poor optimization and performance issues. The game currently has a "Mixed" review score on Steam, with only 67% of its user reviews being positive.
Grounded 2 is currently available in Early Access/Game Preview on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, and Steam. If you have Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass, it's recommended to use it to play Grounded 2 to eliminate the risk of buying a game that doesn't run well on your rig.
A month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate can be purchased for just $10.19 at CDKeys, providing access to Microsoft's service at an amazing discount. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is available on Xbox consoles, PC, and through the Cloud on a wide range of devices.
In summary, Grounded 2’s release strategy focuses on a long early access phase with spaced-out, substantial content updates, aiming for a polished full launch in the future once the game is fully developed and balanced with community input. The developers plan to deliver major updates every 4 to 5 months with "longer, meatier" content expansions to keep improving the game.
- Players can explore the larger map of Brookhollow Park in Grounded 2, which is available on Steam Early Access, Xbox Game Preview, and as part of Xbox Series X|S and Xbox PC's Game Pass.
- Obsidian Entertainment's roadmap for Grounded 2's development includes an update for Summer 2026 featuring an overhaul of Smoothies, improved swimming, water bug mounts, and the ability to create "watery bases."
- Although Grounded 2 has received positive early reviews from critics, some users have reported poor optimization and performance issues, with a "Mixed" review score on Steam.
- To avoid purchasing a game that may not run well on a personal rig, users are recommended to use Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass to play Grounded 2 at a discounted monthly rate of $10.19 at CDKeys, available on various devices.
