Endzone - A World Apart News

[h3]A message from Stefan Marcinek, CEO and Founder of Assemble Entertainment

[/h3][p]Today I have to share news I never wanted to write: Gentlymad Studios will close at the end of September 2025.
[/p][p]For more than ten years, this team has been more than just a development studio. They've been friends, collaborators, and dreamers. From In Between to Pizza Connection 3 and the Endzone series, they put heart, humor, and incredible talent into everything they made.
[/p][p]Endzone 2 had a journey as challenging as the world it's set in. The Early Access launch brought unexpected difficulties: low sales, mixed reviews, and some very hard conversations. But as Stephan Wirth said, “When criticism rolled in, we didn't retreat.” The team listened, improved, and kept going right until the end. I'll never regret that fight.
[/p][p]In the end, those efforts couldn't sustain the studio. It's heartbreaking for the team, the players, and for me personally.
[/p][p]Thank you to everyone who worked at Gentlymad, and to everyone who played their games, whether you discovered them in a post-apocalyptic wasteland or while running a pizza empire. The people behind these games made them possible, and I’m proud to have worked alongside them.
[/p][h3]Here's to each of them:[/h3][p]
Daniel Denne - Art Lead, Co-Founder
Matthias Guntrum - Project Lead, Co-Founder
Stephan Wirth - Experience & Project Lead, Co-Founder
Wolfgang Reichardt - Technical Lead, Co-Founder[/p][p]
Anselm Kegel - Programmer
Benedict Wolf - Management Assistant
Constantin Blum - Design Lead
Etienne Miller - UI Artist, UI Concepting
Jonas Albrecht - Technical Artist, Music Composer, Cinematic Artist
Kai Mergener - Material and Environment Artist
Markus Pohl - Technical Artist
Sebastian Louven - 3D Art Generalist
Simone Rus-Denne - Concept Artist & 3D Art Generalist
Stefan Treffeisen - Programmer
Thomas Trocha - Programmer
Tim Johannsen - Writer, Content Artist
Yannick Edler von Hößle - 3D Art Generalist
[/p][p]Alexandra Rossinskaya - Intern, Concept Art
Alina Sommer - Intern Technical Artist
Dario Falcke - Intern
Jana Mößner - Intern Technical Artist, Tooling
Tessa Benz - Intern
Timo Eberl - Programming, Technical Art
Vanessa Voge - Intern UI Design[/p][p]
So to everyone who played our games, gave feedback, or supported us in any way: Thank you.[/p][p]- Stefan Marcinek (CEO of Assemble Entertainment & Gentlymad Studios) [/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]And now, I’d like to leave the final words to the people who brought these games to life: the Gentlymad Studios team themselves[/h3][p][/p][h3]
Dear survivors,[/h3][p][/p][p]We have some bittersweet news to share: Gentlymad Studios is closing down. This isn’t an easy message to write, but we wanted you to hear it directly from us.[/p][p][/p][p]Since founding the studio in 2014, we’ve been lucky enough to create games like In Between, Pizza Connection 3, and of course Endzone - A World Apart. With Endzone 2, we dreamed even bigger. It didn’t start where we hoped, but thanks to your feedback and support, we worked tirelessly through Early Access to bring it to a place we can truly be proud of.[/p][p]
Over the past months, we felt we were at a tipping point - more and more players were beginning to see the vision we had for the game. Not being able to carry it further is heartbreaking for us, but we’re deeply proud of how far it has come.[/p][p]
Through all the ups and downs, it was you, our players, who made this journey so meaningful. Every comment, every idea, every survival story you shared kept us going. You weren’t just our audience - you were part of the team.[/p][p][/p][p]From the bottom of our hearts: thank you for believing in us, for playing our games, and for helping shape them into what they became. Though Gentlymad Studios is coming to an end, the worlds we built together will live on through you.[/p][h3]
With love and gratitude, 💚[/h3][h3]The Gentlymad Studios Team[/h3]

[p]Hey Survivors,[/p][p]The moment we’ve all been waiting for is almost here — Endzone 2 is launching out of Early Access into full release (v1.0) on July 24, 2025! 🧨[/p][p][/p][p]Check out the new trailer here: [/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]After nearly a year of intense development, nine major updates, countless improvements, and your incredible feedback along the way, we’re finally ready to drop the “Early” from “Early Access”. And trust us — it’s been one hell of a journey.[/p][p][/p][p]You helped us test, tweak, and rebuild systems, survive harsh weather (in-game and out), and grow Endzone 2 into the massive, complex survival strategy game it was always meant to be. From the first expedition to the latest Settlement overhaul, every part of the game has been shaped by this amazing community. ❤️[/p][p][/p][h2]So what’s new in Version 1.0?[/h2]

• [p]RAIDERS are back: better, meaner, and more immersive than ever.[/p]
• [p]Vehicle Combat: we're introducing vehicle-based combat as a new gameplay mechanic![/p]

[p][/p][p]Additionally, here’s what you can expect from Endzone 2 in the final release (including the above):[/p]

• [p]Multi-settlement Survival: discover and develop isolated zones, each with unique resources and threats.[/p]
• [p]Trade & Expeditions: deploy and upgrade your settlement bus, establish trade routes, and send teams on risky expeditions.[/p]
• [p]Dynamic Disasters: face radiation storms, droughts, toxic rain, and more.[/p]
• [p]Tons of new content: electricity, education, upcycling, bulletin boards, hunting.[/p]
• [p]9 Major Updates' worth of polish: tons of new content, improved QoL, performance, stability, and bug squashing galore.[/p]

[p][/p][p]Whether you're a veteran of the wasteland or joining us fresh, there's never been a better time to play.[/p][p][/p][h2]Save the Date: July 24, 2025[/h2][p]That’s when Endzone 2 officially leaves Early Access and becomes the full, final game we’ve been building together.[/p][p]Until then, keep surviving, keep sending us your thoughts (we’re always listening), and maybe… one last run through the desert before the storm hits?[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p][h3]Your Teams from Gentlymad & Assemble[/h3][p][/p][h3]We’d love to have you join us on Discord! It’s the perfect place to share your feedback, connect with other players, and engage in discussions with our team.[/h3][h3]Discord is our primary platform, and your input would be incredibly valuable. Don’t hesitate—come say hello! 😊[/h3][p][/p][p]Official World of Endzone Discord Server[/p]

Survivors!

today we release a regular update that brings QOL features and bug fixes.
Ingame statistic data will start to be collected with this update so in order to have the statistics window display data some ingame time has to pass. Also this is the first version of a statistics window which will be further improved in future updates.

• Statistics: A statistics window was added that gives detailed information about each resource in a settlement.
  
• Settlers: Settlers now have different names.
  
• Settlers: Settlers can now be renamed.
  
  
  
  
• Vehicles: Vehicles can now be renamed.
  
  
  
  
• Expeditions: Added help texts for expeditions. These will also trigger once in savegames if help texts have not been disabled.
  
• Expeditions: The expedition overview now gives more detailed information about all available locations.
  
• Expeditions: Added new greenhouse expeditions.
  
• Tutorial: Added direction indicators for goals that require settling on a new zone or making an expedition
  
• Game Options: Added a toggle to enable or disable movement barks for explorers and vehicles.
  
• Game Options: Added a toggle to enable or disable camera edge scrolling.
  
• Profession Overview: Profession Overview now displays the maximum number of assignable jobs.
  

• Zones: Fixed ground types for different zones to make buildings like mines better placable.
  
• Transportation Routes: Replaced drag & drop functionality in trade routes with a simpler but more stable interaction.
  
• Transportation Routes: Transportation routes in their overview no longer display wrong resources when deleting a transportation route.
  
• UI: Fixed flickering icons in zones.
  
• Expeditions: Completing the wind turbine expedition now not only removes the fog of war in its radius but also correctly uncovers all ruins.
  

• Expeditions: Improved different puzzles at expeditions to make them better understandable.
  
• Expeditions: The hovering UI over ruins now reflects the progress of the expedition.
  
• Transportation Routes: Deleting a transportation route now needs to be confirmed via a prompt.
  
• Analytics View: The production analytics view now also reflects the most important warning for each building.
  
• UI: Changed some icons for building warnings.
  
• UI: Buttons below Minimap no longer overlap with the active frame of the minimap.
  
• UI: Community buildings now show the number of affected buildings in their inspector.
  
• UI: Event dialogs now have a clear indication to which settlement they belong.
  
• Gameplay: Different balancing to production buildings. Especially upgraded buildings are now more beneficial.
  
• Fields: Fields no longer require iron tools to be researched or built.
  
• Mines: Mines are now more flexible in their placement.
  
• Research: The technology that is currently being research is now highlighted in the tech tree.
  
• Research: The notification displaying that something is currently research now also displays the current research's name in its tooltip.
  
• Build Mode: Most buildings are now better visibile while placing them.
  
• Buildings: Buildings now show first steps of their building process in order to make construction sites and blueprints better visible.
  

Your Teams from Gentlymad & Assemble | 0.8.9039.15944 #a4f085237

Survivors,

Time flies, and our first Early Access Update #1 QoL ☢️ is just around the corner! We're excited to give you a sneak peek of what we've been working on for the upcoming September update. Mark your calendars for September 30th, here is a short and sweet overview what to expect:

• In-Game Statistics
  
• Renaming Settlers and Vehicles
  
• Expedition Improvements
  
• Quality of Life Enhancements
  
• General Gameplay and Settler Improvements
  
• Stability Improvements
  
• General Bug Fixes
  

For this first Early Access Update, we originally focused heavily on stability, bug fixes, and quality of life improvements. But after reading your feedback, we worked hard to implement two features ahead of schedule. We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve managed to squeeze in a first version of in-game statistics and the ability to rename settlers and vehicles!


And stay tuned - in October, you can look forward to Update #2 and our FIRST MAJOR CONTENT UPDATE including ELECTRICITY and UPCYCLING.
Make sure to check out our online roadmap to see what's coming in future updates.





[h2]ICYMI[/h2]
Talking about updates - in case you missed it we started an Early Access survey! It is still open and we kindly ask you to submit your feedback in this form to help us shape the Early Access.





Keep in mind, Endzone 2 - just like the original - is shaped by your feedback! Your input is key in helping us create the ideal post-apocalyptic city builder and colony sim that we all envision. 🌱





This overview is based on the current state of our internal test version and does not represent the final update notes! ☢️Contents are subject to change! ☢️

[h3]📈 Statistics:[/h3]

• The new statistics feature gives you a comprehensive overview of all resources in a settlement!
  
• Easily view and compare key values like stock levels and resource changes (per minute).
  
• Track production, consumption, and stock levels of all resources over the past 11 days using graphs.
  
• Access a history of recent deliveries/exports of resources through transport routes.
  

[h3]🗣️ Naming Settlers/Vehicles:[/h3]

• Settlers now have individual names.
  
• You can rename settlers.
  
• Vehicles can also be renamed for better differentiation according to their purpose.
  

[h3]🚌 Expeditions:[/h3]

• Expeditions now include helpful explanation texts when accessed for the first time (this also triggers in savegames).
  
• The expedition window has been revamped to show more information about specific locations.
  
• You can now see how many expeditions are available across the three sectors and how many have already been completed.
  
• Improvements have been made to certain expedition puzzles to make them more intuitive.
  

[h3]🌱 General Quality of Life:[/h3]

• Additional guidance in the introduction, including arrows pointing to the zone to be settled, will help players get started.
  
• The production analysis view now highlights the most critical issue affecting a building.
  
• Community buildings that influence nearby structures now display the number of buildings affected.
  
• Deleting transport routes now requires confirmation through a pop-up dialog for added safety.
  
• The research notification now shows what’s currently being researched.
  

[h3]🎮 Gameplay Improvements:[/h3]

• Certain zones have been adjusted to make tasks like placing mines easier.
  
• Various balancing tweaks, especially making upgraded buildings more rewarding.
  
• Farms no longer require iron tools to be researched or built.
  
• Mines now offer more flexibility in their placement.
  

Thank you for reading this far, for playing Endzone 2, submitting your feedback, and completing the survey. Your input helps us shape the game to better meet your expectations and enhance its overall experience. 🙂 See you on September 30th again! 🍂

Yours,
Gentlymad and Assemble




https://store.steampowered.com/app/2144640/Endzone_2/

[h3]As Discord is our main platform for feedback and discussion within the community, we highly recommend joining us and sharing your feedback there.[/h3]

Survivors!

The Early Access launch of the long-awaited sequel to Endzone - A World Apart happened about two weeks ago. Thank you to everyone who’s been playing! It’s been such a joy watching many of you share your survival experiences online. 💚

We also want to thank you for reporting bugs and submitting feedback! Developing Endzone 2 is a delicate balancing act between trying out new ideas and staying true to the original IP. 💡

While Steam reviews, the forums, and your reports have already helped us identify many issues and gain insights into your thoughts, we’d like to dive even deeper. We’re launching a new survey to help us better understand which direction this Early Access should take. We’d love for you to join and share your honest feedback!





Remember, Endzone 2 - just like its predecessor - is driven by community feedback! Your input is crucial in helping us craft the perfect mix for the post-apocalyptic city builder/colony sim we all envision. ☢️

So let get into it! The Early Access survey focuses on the following topics:

⚪ Playtime and player experience
⚪ Game rating
⚪ Current content
⚪ Future updates
⚪ New features
⚪ Balancing

We’ve already planned the first major content update, as outlined in the ROADMAP.
You can expect an update by the end of September, and the first major content update in October, titled Let There Be Light, which will introduce electricity and… upcycling!

This has been a highly requested feature from the community, and we’ll reveal more details about these additions soon.

[h3]#1 SEPTEMBER Patch 🚧 FIXES 🚧 [/h3]
- Advancements to settler simulation
- Fixes for reported bugs
- Stability improvements
- Quality of Life improvements

[h3]#2 OCTOBER Major Update 💡 LET THERE BE LIGHT! 💡 [/h3]
- Electricity: Generate and distribute electricity!
- Upcycling: Turn specific ruins into buildings!
- Content: New side missions and POIs

[h3]#3 NOVEMBER ❓

#4 DECEMBER ❓ [/h3]

⚠️ Now, we need your help to shape the Early Access! ⚠️

What feature are you most excited about? Your feedback is valuable and will influence the direction of Early Access development.



Thank you for reading this far, for playing Endzone 2, submitting your feedback, and completing the survey. Your input helps us shape the game to better meet your expectations and enhance its overall experience. 🙂 🌱


Yours,
Gentlymad and Assemble



https://store.steampowered.com/app/2817790/Endzone_2_Demo?snr=1_7_15__13



https://store.steampowered.com/app/2144640/Endzone_2/

[h3]As Discord is our main platform for feedback and discussion within the community, we highly recommend joining us and sharing your feedback there.[/h3]