Xbox and Obsidian Unveil the Grounded 2 Early Access Roadmap

Alright, let’s dive into this. So, Grounded 2, right? It’s finally here! Obsidian Entertainment, the brain behind this madness, is surprising us again after the 2020 hype. Remember that whirlwind? And now, bam, they drop this gem — part of their 2025 trilogy with Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2. Crazy, right?

It’s in Early Access now, floating around on Xbox Series X|S and PC. Steam too, oh, and don’t forget Xbox Game Pass. Options galore, seriously. You can grab it for $29.99, or get fancy with the Founder’s Edition at $39.99 — includes all kinds of extras. Artbook, soundtrack — the whole shebang.

But hey, let me tell you, even early on, this thing towers over the original. The map? Brookhollow Park. Massive, just a chunk of what’s to come, yet it already feels like a second home for anyone who played the first game. Got new character builds, mounts — like you’re riding ant soldiers. Spiders too, if that’s your thing. Wild stuff.

Now, speaking of growing, they’ve got plans, big ones. Obsidian released a roadmap to keep us on our toes. Continuous expansions and seasonal updates lined up like dominoes — Fall ’25, Winter ’25, Summer ’26. Yeah, three main updates, each like peeling back layers on an onion.

Fall’s update drops a colossal tarantula — the AXL boss. Spiders creeping you out yet? Anyway, beat it, and you get new stuff to craft. Base construction gets a snazzy grid system, and pouches for your mounts. Then winter swoops in with throwbacks from Grounded 1, revamped systems, new bugs — ladybugs, crickets, earwigs — and even more gear. Oh, Steam Deck users, rejoice, it’s crossplay-ready and optimized now!

Then, on to next summer — smoothies, baby! Imagine overhauled versions and better swimming mechanics. Water is a big theme, got water bug mounts, gear for wet environments, even watery bases. Creativity running wild.

And hey, three mysterious updates on the roadmap. All redacted, but they’ve got this green tree symbol pointing to Brookhollow Park expansions. Feels like finding treasure maps in a pirate movie, doesn’t it?

Overall, Obsidian’s got plans to keep this game fresh. Seasonal updates, new content — it’s like they’ve got a recipe book for keeping gamers glued. But hey, real talk, how they manage bugs — not the critters — with smaller patches will be telling.

Critics love it. My colleague Zach was raving, called it ambitious, larger-than-life. Sam is pumped too — can’t wait to see where it’s heading. Enthusiasm is contagious, I swear.

But ah, there’s drama on Steam. Broke player records but scored a mixed review. Optimization issues, folks say, but hey, that’s what Early Access is for. Gives developers a chance to fix the mess before full launch.

Want to try it out? Xbox Game Pass might be your buddy here. Cuts the risk — if it runs wrong, you’ve not splurged. If you’re feeling adventurous, snag a Game Pass Ultimate deal — $10.19 at CDKeys, not a bad bet.

Anyway, if gaming’s your thing, seems worth a peek. Who knows what you’ll discover there?