Grounded 2: Everything you need to know about Obsidian's Early Access survival game

Grounded 2 is the open-world sequel to Obsidian's 2022 survival adventure.

The sequel to one of the best survival games was first revealed during the Summer Game Fest 2025 schedule, and it's officially been out in Early Access on Xbox and PC for quite some time, with it's launching landing back in July 2025. Since then, the game continues to grow, with Obsidian dropping a fresh update to kick off 2026.

It was a busy year for the developer in 2025, with the likes of Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 also releasing. While we're awaiting confirmation on when the ant-filled survival game will be coming out of Early Access, we've gathered together all of the details you need to know if you're thinking about giving it a try (our Grounded 2 review is here to help there, too), or you're just interested to learn more about it.

When was the Grounded 2 release date for Early Access?

Grounded 2 launched for Xbox Game Preview and Steam Early Access as of July 29, 2025.

News of the release date initially dropped during the Xbox Games Showcase 2025 as part of Summer Game Fest, but we're still awaiting word on the Early Access end date.

The first Grounded was announced back in 2019, and then went into Early Access in 2020 before getting a full release in 2022. So far, it's unclear when exactly the sequel will have its full release. Obsidian currently plans to follow the same window as the first Grounded, which could mean we may see it leave Early Access sometime in 2027.

What are Grounded 2's platforms?

Grounded 2 is currently only available to play on Xbox Series X and PC in its Early Access state.

Right now, there is no word on a PS5 or Nintendo release. However, it's worth keeping in mind that in 2024, the first Grounded was released on the Switch, PS4, and PS5, and Obsidian has even stated that is isn't ruling out PS5, but says that Grounded 2's initial release is "all about being in Game Preview and Early Access".

So, the sequel could follow in Grounded's footsteps and make its way to other consoles in the future. Who knows, maybe we'll see it added to our list of upcoming Switch 2 games as well! For now, though, it's looking to be an Xbox exclusive at launch. And while the original game landed on the Xbox One, Obsidian explained that Grounded 2 was born out of the limitations of the last-gen console, with the sequels world being created from "ground-up" for the Xbox Series X.

Grounded 2 trailer

The first Grounded 2 trailer (which you can watch above) gave us our first look at the bigger setting you can explore and venture across in the sequel, with the small heroes running across everything from a spilled ice cream tub to a giant juice carton in the park.

It also shows of some small story elements, which all kicks off after a news segment announces that there has been an explosion at BrookHollow Park during a ceremony that celebrated the two-year anniversary of four teens being miniaturized against their will. Ominet is also mentioned as it's revealed that the teens are missing once again.

Finally, the trailer also showed off Grounded 2's biggest new feature: mounts. There are tons of clips of teens riding spiders, ants, and more.

What is the Grounded 2 story and setting?

Grounded 2 is set a few years after the events of the first game in the year 1992, and follows the story of the four original teens who are still missing.

If you're unfamiliar with the story of the first Grounded, basically, you are one of four teens who find themselves mysteriously shrunken down to the size of an insect and trapped in a backyard. As they explore and try to survive the brutal environment of the yard, they discover notes from Dr. Wendell Tully, who invented the machine known as SPAC.R, which can shrink objects and people.

It turns out that you are, in fact, in Dr. Wendell Tully's yard, and so is the SPAC.R. Thanks to an explosion, the pieces are scattered, and you must find them all to get back to normal. Along the way, it's discovered that the company Ominent is behind your kidnapping and has been experimenting on children.

In Grounded 2, Ominent is back in full force and up to shady antics once again. During the Xbox Showcase at Summer Game Fest 2025, we first learned the company is back to its old tricks, and it's up to you to survive whatever they throw at you. In fact, you have to find more Ominent research labs to progress the game, too.

In the Grounded 2 Direct following the Xbox Game Showcase, the development team at Eidos Montreal and Obsidian Entertainment revealed the world of 2 is larger than the first, and takes place in Brookhollow Park, which has new biomes, from the likes of an icy environment that takes the form of an overturned ice-cream cart that's contents has spilled out, as well as a "spooky" anthill.

Speaking with GamesRadar+ during the Summer Game Fest event in 2025, Obsidian co-founder and Grounded 2 director Chris Parker explained how the technical limitations of the Xbox One influenced the decision to build an expanded world from the ground up for the second game on the current-gen Xbox Series X/S.

What's Grounded 2 gameplay like?

Much like its predecessor, Grounded 2 is primarily a survival game where you scavenge a gigantic world for materials as you loot bug corpses, dive into dungeons, craft shelters, and unlock upgrades that turn you into a tiny insect terminator.

Like the first game, as you progress the story through exploring research labs and battling massive boss bugs, you'll get to unlock technology and equipment that helps you survive as well as thrive in your shrunken state. Not only will you need to stay alive with all the creepy crawlers after you, but you'll have to manage your hunger and thirst levels as well.

Stamina also depletes during combat, and a nighttime cycle makes enemies more aggressive, so keep that in mind when you're out and about looking for resources. Like the first game, co-op is also a big gameplay feature, giving you the opportunity to play with your mates (or use them as a shield when fighting those giant bugs). The game can be played solo, though, so don't worry, no matter what kind of player you are, you are sorted here.

And while everything is bigger in scale, Obsidian revealed that it never considered stretching beyond four player co-op, because it would have "undermined what Grounded was really about". What truly makes Grounded stand out among other titles in the survival genre is its RPG-like quirks. Action split up with witty dialogue from NPCs, and you'll uncover tidbits of lore as you make your way through the game and work to survive as a mini-person just trying their best.

During the Grounded 2 Direct, we first saw more new gameplay features, including the fact that you can dash this time around, but so can all of the enemies you face, with cockroaches entering the fray.

As we mentioned above, the sequel additionally features mounts known as buggies that give you a new way to traverse and explore the world, and they fight alongside you when you jump off of them. In fact, Obsidian said it had to rethink how the world works in Grounded 2 because bringing mounts to the sequel was such a big change.

You can read more about the expanded scope of the upcoming survival adventure in our Grounded 2 hands-on preview. Or, if you want to get a head start on your first playthrough, check out our guides on the Grounded 2 Acorn locations and the Grounded 2 Grass Seeds location.

Can I pre-order Grounded 2?

Sorry, folks, but you can't pre-order Grounded 2 just yet. However, considering how the game is now out in Early Access, that may change soon once we get word on a full release date.

We'll keep you posted as we wait for more updates. In the meantime, you can read our original Grounded review to prepare yourself before the sequel hits.

For more adventures with friends, check out our list of the best co-op games to play today. Or dive into our guide on all the new PC games heading our way.