THE AFTERCARE INDEX
POST-LAUNCH SUPPORT AUDIT · VERIFIED

Cities: Skylines II

Colossal Order (2023–2025) → Iceflake Studios (2026–) / Paradox Interactive · 2023 · City-building simulation

Did the studio keep supporting this game after launch? This page is the evidence.
AFTERCARE SCORE 64 Tier D · Uneven Pattern: Recovery
See it on SteamStore link opens Steam in a new tab.
LAUNCH CONDITIONPoor
AFTERCARE PATTERNRecovery
AUDIT STATUSVerified

Three years in and still fixing launch — but honest communication and a fresh studio keep the recovery alive.

01Score breakdown

Patch Speed8 / 20
Maintenance Quality13 / 20
Communication15 / 20
Player Responsiveness17 / 20
Follow-Through11 / 20

Five categories, 20 points each, 100 total. Full method on the methodology page.

02The evidence

Launched October 24, 2023 with severe performance problems despite demanding system requirements (Steam reviews settled at Mixed, 56%; Metacritic user score 4.4). Colossal Order issued weekly patches, then pivoted to larger fixes; the April 2024 Beach Properties DLC debacle prompted a joint apology, the DLC's removal and refunds, $40 of compensation content for Ultimate Edition owners, and a pause on paid DLC. The Economy 2.0 patch (June 2024), employment fixes, region and creator packs steadily improved the simulation. In November 2025 Colossal Order left the franchise and Paradox handed development to Iceflake Studios from January 2026 — whose first 2026 roadmap targets UI, visuals, and usability — while console versions remain indefinitely delayed with no release date as of late 2026.

  • Pulled the Beach Properties DLC from Steam and offered full refunds after community backlash
  • Paused all paid DLC and promised free patches first, plus an advisory meeting with player representatives
  • Shipped Economy 2.0 (June 2024), DLSS support, employment/death-wave fixes, and numerous free patches
  • Paradox kept the project alive with the Iceflake Studios handoff (Jan 2026) — but console versions are still missing after three years

03Sources

01Cities: Skylines II - WikipediaReferenceVisit02Cities Skylines 2 devs offer DLC refunds as console ports get delayedPress reportVisit03Cities Skylines 2's first big expansion delayed yet again as studio seeks to 'add more depth'Press reportVisit04Cities Skylines 2 finally unleashes its huge 'Economy 2.0' patchPress reportVisit05Paradox Interactive and Colossal Order Part Ways, Cities: Skylines 2 Development Handed Over to Iceflake StudiosPress reportVisit06Iceflake Studios now holds the future of Cities: SkylinesPress reportVisit

04Audit record

Launch date
October 24, 2023
Evidence coverage through
Oct 4, 2026
Methodology
v1.0
Audit confidence
Medium
Why this confidence
Broad press coverage of the apology, Beach Properties refund, DLC delays, console absence, and the Nov 2025 Iceflake handoff; Iceflake's 2026 output is only weeks old, so the trajectory half of the score is genuinely provisional.
Score band
Uneven (Tier D)
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