Summary
- 11 Bit Studios is remaking Frostpunk in Unreal Engine 5 with new mechanics and mod support for release in 2027.
- Frostpunk 1886 will introduce new laws, mechanics, and a Purpose Path, expanding on the original game's concept.
- Despite some setbacks, 11 Bit Studios plans to release a new sci-fi game Alters in 2025 as well.
Developer 11 Bit Studios has revealed that Frostpunk is getting an Unreal Engine 5 remake, along with a bit of a name change. The city-building survival simulator immediately grabbed the attention of gamers when it launched in 2018, thanks to its intriguing setting, challenging mechanics, and intuitive gameplay. It has an 86 average critic rating on OpenCritic, and seven years after launch, Frostpunk has a “Very Positive” user rating on Steam.
The game was so well received, in fact, that it got a sequel some years later, which surpassed its predecessor in concurrent player numbers when it launched and currently sits at a “Mostly Positive” rating on Steam. Both titles received regular updates upon release, with the first game ending up with three paid content drops, and the Frostpunk 2 roadmap shows three DLCs planned for release into 2026.
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In the meantime, though, 11 Bit has announced Frostpunk 1886, a "reimagining" of the original release that will also show a bit more about what happened when the Great Storm first arrived in New London. The remake will use Unreal Engine 5, as 11 Bit’s own Liquid Engine is no longer in development. Frostpunk 1886 is the game hinted at in mid April by the company’s president Przemysław Marszał, and it is slated for release in 2027.
The Original Frostpunk Recreated in Unreal Engine 5
Frostpunk 1886 will be more than just a visual overhaul of the original game. It will introduce new technologies, laws, and mechanics, as well as another Purpose Path. The release will also finally introduce mod support, which the community has been requesting for years. There may even possibly be additional DLC content, the developer teased.
During the aforementioned interview with Polish Press Agency, Marszał also revealed that 11 Bit is working on an even larger game that is expected to release sometime in 2029, though it’s unclear whether this new project will be another Frostpunk entry or an entirely new IP. Additionally, 11 Bit’s upcoming sci-fi game Alters will be launching in June and will be available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers on day one. The company also serves as a publisher, and the Digital Sun-developed and 11-Bit-published Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault is slated for a Summer 2025 release as well.
It hasn’t been all roses for the company, however. In December 2024, 11 Bit announced that it would be laying off team members and cancelling an unannounced narrative-driven console game, dubbed Project 8, citing shifting market trends as the reason. The decision was possibly also driven by the relatively poor sales of Frostpunk 2 when it launched in September of that year. Despite the game’s positive reception by gamers and critics alike, it failed to reach the expected numbers in sales and sustained player count. Hopefully, the launches of Alters and Frostpunk 1886 will provide the company some financial relief.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 86 /100 Critics Rec: 92%
- Released
- April 24, 2018
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Mild Sexual Themes, Mild Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- 11 Bit Studios
- Publisher(s)
- 11 Bit Studios
- Engine
- Liquid Engine
- Franchise
- Frostpunk
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- City Builder, Survival
