Surprise! Obsidian is making Grounded 2, and it's launching into Steam Early Access and Xbox Game Preview next month

A caterpillar in Grounded 2's reveal trailer.

(Image credit: Obsidian Entertainment)

The Xbox Games Showcase came equipped with an announcement that nobody could have anticipated: Grounded 2 is not only in development, but it's launching into Xbox Game Preview and Steam Early Access on July 29, 2025.

To be clear, don't mistake my surprise here as me suggesting that Grounded doesn't deserve a sequel. It absolutely does – the miniaturised adventure was a big success, after all. Rather, my surprise here is because Grounded only came out of early access on Xbox in 2022, and launched on PS5, PS4, and Nintendo Switch last year.

Rather than continue supporting Grounded as a live-service for years on end – like fellow Xbox Game Studios developer Rare has done with Sea of Thieves – Obsidian has instead opted to pursue an absolutely gorgeous sequel. The Grounded 2 reveal trailer seems to hint at an expanded playspace for you and three friends, new weapons and building tools, and the arrival of mounts and mounted combat. With the game just weeks away, we won't have long to wait to learn more.

It's worth noting that while Grounded did eventually arrive on Nintendo and PlayStation platforms, Grounded 2 will not be – at least not for the time being. I suspect that this is because the title is launching into early access, and that Obsidian wants to iterate on the core game before expanding out to other platforms.

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Josh West is the Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar+. He has over 15 years experience in online and print journalism, and holds a BA (Hons) in Journalism and Feature Writing. Prior to starting his current position, Josh has served as GR+'s Features Editor and Deputy Editor of games™ magazine, and has freelanced for numerous publications including 3D Artist, Edge magazine, iCreate, Metal Hammer, Play, Retro Gamer, and SFX. Additionally, he has appeared on the BBC and ITV to provide expert comment, written for Scholastic books, edited a book for Hachette, and worked as the Assistant Producer of the Future Games Show. In his spare time, Josh likes to play bass guitar and video games. Years ago, he was in a few movies and TV shows that you've definitely seen but will never be able to spot him in.

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