Paradox announced the console port for Cities: Skylines 2 will be delayed with no release window due to ongoing stability and performance issues.
If the delays on Colossal Order’s Cities: Skylines 2 for consoles were not bad enough from its previous delays, it just got worse. Today, game publisher Paradox announced that the port for Cities: Skylines 2 will be delayed for Xbox Series X/S and PS5 indefinitely. The developer stated that the port has not yet met the “stability and performance targets.” But, there is a plan to announce a release window once another thorough review is made this summer.
Paradox posted a message to console gamers on their forums, essentially saying that the console version of Cities: Skylines 2 was not up to their standards and would not be ready for the October 2024 release window. The original delay was for the game to be released this spring. The developers and publisher noted in the post that a “thorough review” this August will determine a new release window. Until then, they are holding back on any further predictions.
They also mentioned how the team is making “slow but steady” progress, yet “unresolved issues” remain that currently “harm the player experience.” “We understand this is disappointing, and it’s not what we had hoped for either. However, we are committed to keeping you informed throughout this development process, even if the updates aren’t always what we’d like.”
Cities: Skylines 2 launched in October 2023 for PC and currently has a “Mixed” rating on Steam, with 52 percent of user reviews positive. The city-builder has faced criticism for its performance issues and lacklustre updates on PC, so they are understandably trying to nail the console launch. Releasing the paid Beach Properties DLC this past March did not help either since it received “Overwhelmingly Negative” ratings on Steam. Colossal Order CEO Mariina Hallikainen later admitted the lack of modding support was the developer’s “biggest regret.”
Then, in April, Paradox was forced to offer refunds for the latest DLC, with Hallikainen and deputy CEO of Paradox Mattias Lilja admitting the Beach Properties DLC was rushed out in order to improve sentiment around the disastrous launch of Cities: Skylines 2. At the same time, the devs and publisher explained that the team working on the console release operates separately from the PC development team, “so it will be progressing without splitting our focus or time.” Hopefully, the console launch will be a miraculous save for the companies, as fans of the city-builder are very unhappy about this sequel game.
