Grounded 2 Devs Reveal More About Game’s Story and Update Schedule

Grounded 2 is set two years after the events of the first game, Obsidian Entertainment has confirmed. This detail was revealed in a recent interview that also provided additional insight into the game’s story and the developer’s post-launch content plans for Grounded 2.

Grounded 2 was treated to a surprise announcement during the latest Xbox Games Showcase. The early June event saw Obsidian commit to a July 29 (early access) release date for the sequel to its 2022 survival game.

Grounded 2’s Starting Area Sounds Massive

Obsidian Entertainment confirms the huge size of Grounded 2’s starting area, which may surprise fans who played the first entry in the franchise.

In the run-up to this summer launch, game director and Obsidian Entertainment co-founder Chris Parker sat down with GamesRadar+ to discuss some finer details about Grounded 2, including its story and post-launch content. On the subject of the former, the industry veteran confirmed that the upcoming title will be set two years after the original and feature the same playable characters from the first Grounded: Pete, Max, Willow, and Hoops. During a statue unveiling ceremony held in their honor, the quartet once again finds themselves shrunk to miniature size, kicking off the events of the new game.

Grounded 2 Will Be More Narrative-Driven Than the First Game

While the upcoming title will retain the survival mechanics of Grounded, it aims to pair them with a stronger narrative. Expanding on this point, Parker labeled narrative as the developer’s core focus for Grounded 2. Be that as it may, the project won’t have a complete story to offer from day one. Instead, Obsidian plans to release it in early access through Microsoft’s Game Preview program, gradually expanding all aspects of Grounded 2, including its narrative.

Grounded 2 Will Have a More Relaxed Update Cadence Than the Original

The first Grounded took two years and two months to leave early access, which it finally did in September 2022. Throughout this period, Obsidian was trying to deliver a consistent stream of updates, aiming to offer some kind of content drops on a near-monthly basis. “That was a hassle and it didn’t work,” Parker said bluntly, adding that the monthly schedule agitated both fans and developers alike. As a result, Grounded 2 will adopt a more relaxed update cadence, with significant content drops arriving once every four to five months.

By avoiding the pressure of delivering patches every few weeks, Obsidian aims to provide more comprehensive updates, similar to those seen in the later early access stages of Grounded. This approach will allow the community to offer feedback on complete segments of the game—namely, new areas of Brookhollow Park—rather than evaluating isolated features without the full intended context. There’s still no official word on how long Grounded 2 is planned to remain in early access.