Grounded 2 News

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]Welcome, Ranger! Reporting for duty at Brookhollow Park? In our first official Grounded 2 developer vlog, Dr. Aarik Dorobiala and Field Researcher Marco Miranda from the Ominent team walk you through everything you’ll need to survive—and thrive—in this early access phase of our City Park Project. [/p][p]Learn about: [/p][p]🛠 Using the all-in-one Omni-Tool [/p][p]🕷️ New Bugs and Biomes [/p][p]🪲 The goal to befriend (and ride!) your very own Buggy [/p][p]🧢 Info on crafting the right Gear & Archetypes for your field role [/p][p]🏕️ Upgrading at the all-new Ranger Station [/p][p]From ethically sourced orb weavers to bashful snails, you’ll get a sneak peek at what’s waiting in Brookhollow Park. Just remember: Ominent is not liable for any injuries caused by mantis ambushes or scorpion strikes. Good luck out there.[/p]

[p]Get familiar with the game before hopping in with some of the devs![/p]

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p]The countdown to Grounded 2 is over, and we’re gearing up to welcome players back to Brookhollow — only this time, the world is bigger, the bugs are bolder, and the park is ready to play in so saddle up! We’re excited to announce the Minotaurs, Myrmidons, and Mants: Oh My! Founder’s Edition, available for purchase starting at launch.[/p][p][/p][p]This edition is packed with stylish cosmetics to help you stand out while exploring Brookhollow Park. You’ll get the game plus unlock four premium character skins, each with their own custom emotes: the mighty Minotaur, the stoic Myrmidon, the elusive Rogue, and the fearsome Mant. You’ll also get access to “ONYX-PRO, Inside the Game” — a digital artbook and soundtrack that takes you behind the scenes of Grounded 2’s development and will be updated throughout Game Preview/Early Access — and a decorative set of Tool Effigies called the Tools of Yore, perfect for showing off your adventuring spirit at home base.[/p][p]Correction — almost perfect. The Tools of Yore aren’t actually exclusive to the Founder’s Edition. They’re a gift to every player who joins us in Grounded 2, whether you’re playing through Game Pass, purchasing the standard edition, or picking up the Founder’s Edition down the line. It’s a simple “thank –you” from the team, for stepping back into the tiny world with us.[/p][p][/p][p]Players can always start their adventure with the Standard Edition of Grounded 2, or by playing day one with Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. If they decide they want the additional cosmetic items — none of which affect gameplay or progression — and the digital artbook and soundtrack, the Minotaurs, Myrmidons, and Mants: Oh My! Founder’s Edition will be available as a Founder’s Pack upgrade as well.[/p][p]In addition to new cosmetic options and the digital artbook and soundtrack, we’re also continuing our commitment to accessibility. Grounded 2 will launch into Game Preview and Early Access with a wide array of features designed to support different playstyles and player needs. This includes Arachnophobia Safe Mode, colorblind options, subtitle customization, narration through Read to Me, adjustable reticles, control settings, and more. We’re also committed to supporting the same localized languages from the original Grounded, starting with English, French, Castilian Spanish, German, Italian, Latin American Spanish, and Simplified Chinese at Game Preview/Early Access—with more languages to be added over time. These tools and options are just the beginning — we’ll continue building on them with community input throughout development.[/p][p]Grounded 2 launches today, July 29, 2025. The Standard Edition during the Game Preview/Early Access period is $29.99 USD while the Founder’s Edition will be available for $39.99 USD, and the Founder’s Pack upgrade will be available for $10.00 USD. We’re incredibly excited to explore what comes next with you. This world is meant to grow and evolve, and that only happens with your feedback, creativity, and curiosity.[/p][p]So, grab your gear, round up your team, and meet us in the park. And don’t forget to join the conversation in our official Discord — we’ll be there, keeping an eye out for your base builds, bug tales, and all the wild stories that only Grounded 2 can deliver.[/p]

I was somewhat surprised to see Grounded 2 when it was announced at the Xbox Games Showcase 2025, and even more so to be able to go hands-on with it less than a month later. Despite initially liking my time with the first Grounded, the sheer influx of open-world survival games with crafting elements that infested gaming in the late 2010s, like so many ants in a backyard, had me effectively exhausted with the concept.

But like I said in my review of the Switch version of Grounded, it was the right game at the wrong time—its premise was so fresh and fun that despite my weariness with the genre, I was able to really get hooked into it. A second time around, its sequel is again doing everything right in a bigger, weirder and much more approachable way.

Grounded 2 sets its tone pretty immediately as one that’s a bit more tongue-in-cheek than its predecessor. While I never felt like the first game was taking itself too seriously, I couldn’t help but laugh this time... Read more