Paradox Interactive and Colossal Order may have announced Cities Skylines 2, but that does not mean they're done with Cities Skylines just yet. Before Cities Skylines 2 hits store shelves later this year, Colossal Order has plans to release a slew of new DLC packs to celebrate the final year of its popular city builder. While it is great to see new content get added to an eight-year-old game, releasing DLC so close to the launch of Cities Skylines 2 seems like an odd choice.
The upcoming Cities Skylines content stream should help tie city builder fans over until the launch of Cities Skylines 2, but if Colossal Order is not careful then this DLC could easily fall flat. Fans may have no interest in these DLC packs since the sequel looms on the horizon, and if Cities Skylines 2 does not launch with this content then fans will have little reason to upgrade. It has put fans and the brand in a difficult position, and there does not seem to be a clear way out of it.
Cities Skylines' DLC May Take Away From Cities Skylines 2's Launch
Cities Skylines 2 is set to launch sometime in 2023. No official release date has been announced, and Colossal Order has yet to show any gameplay. The only thing that fans have is a quick reveal trailer with more news likely on the way. The lack of information has not stopped the community from getting excited about the project, and hopefully the studio can deliver. It has been eight years since the release of Cities Skylines, and the studio promises that the sequel will be the most realistic city builder ever. It could redefine what the genre can be, as long as it launches in a strong state.
Cities Skylines has had a plethora of DLC packs over the years that expanded the game's content significantly. There is so much for players to mess around with as they try to build the city of their dreams, and it seems like Colossal Order wants to expand those offerings even more. A new wave of Cities Skylines DLC is set to kick off on March 22 with three new Content Creator Packs, a free update, and three new radio stations. In May, the studio has plans for an additional three Content Creator Packs and two radio stations. That is a lot of Cities Skylines content to look forward to, but it seems odd to add DLC this close to the sequel's release.
The DLC is supposed to celebrate the end of Cities Skylines, but there really is no reason for fans to purchase it. The second game is supposed to launch by the end of the year, and many fans will end up moving to the new title at launch. Depending upon when the game releases, players may want to just save their money for the next game. If it delivers on its promise then it should be far better than Cities Skylines, and players will likely not look back. Even if it is getting new content, it just doesn't make sense to spend more money on a game that will be replaced by its sequel a couple of months later.
There is also a chance that Cities Skylines 2 launches with less content than its predecessor currently has. Colossal Order may follow Maxis' example and strip out certain features to repackage as DLC. This new wave of DLC may also be Cities Skylines exclusive content since Colossal Order has made no indication that these packs will carry over. If the sequel launches with less content than the original, then players will have little reason to upgrade to the new game. All of this new DLC will only make the content divide more apparent if the sequel does not deliver at launch.
There is a chance that Cities Skylines 2 is infinitely better than its predecessor, and that would give players little reason to spend more money on the first game. Alternatively, the sequel may be lacking much of the DLC content of the original, thus giving players little reason to upgrade. It just seems like this new DLC train has put players, the studio, and the brand in a tough spot. It's nice to celebrate the end of the popular city builder, but there's a strong chance it will come at a cost.
Cities Skylines 2 is currently in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.