11 Bit Studios has announced Frostpunk 1886, a complete remake of their acclaimed survival city-builder, scheduled for release in 2027.
The Polish developer is rebuilding the original Frostpunk experience using Unreal Engine 5, marking this announcement just six months after Frostpunk 2's launch. Originally released in 2018, the 2027 remake will arrive nearly a decade after the first game's debut.
Frostpunk presents a unique city-building survival experience set in an alternate 19th century reality. Players must establish and maintain a settlement during a global volcanic winter, overseeing resource management, making difficult survival decisions, and scouting the frozen wasteland for survivors and supplies.
IGN awarded the original Frostpunk an outstanding 9/10 score, praising it as: "Frostpunk masterfully blends diverse thematic concepts and gameplay mechanics into an original and compelling strategy experience, despite occasional moments of obscurity."
Its sequel, Frostpunk 2, received a slightly lower but still impressive 8/10 rating from IGN, with reviewers noting: "Frostpunk 2's complete reinvention of its city-building systems creates a more expansive experience that's richer in social and political complexity, though less personal than its predecessor."
11 Bit Studios confirmed their ongoing commitment to Frostpunk 2, including planned DLC and console releases, while simultaneously developing Frostpunk 1886.
"With our proprietary Liquid Engine - which powered both the original Frostpunk and This War of Mine - no longer being developed, we've long sought a new technological foundation to preserve the legacy of our first landmark survival experience," the studio explained.
"While Frostpunk 2 continues evolving through major free updates, console releases, and expansions, this new project represents a homecoming to the franchise's origins, delivering both new players and established citizens of New London an enhanced version of the brutal, morally complex survival experience that defined the series."
"Frostpunk 1886 - named after the pivotal moment when the Great Storm engulfed New London - isn't just a graphical upgrade. It expands upon the original's foundation with added content, systems, legislation options, and notably, an entirely new Purpose narrative branch, offering fresh perspectives even for veteran players."
"Recreating Frostpunk in Unreal Engine 5 transforms it into a dynamic platform capable of supporting long-requested features like mod support - previously unfeasible due to technical constraints - along with potential future downloadable content."
The studio promises fans "a future where Frostpunk 2 and Frostpunk 1886 develop in parallel - two distinct paths expanding the franchise's survival vision against overwhelming adversity."
Simultaneously, 11 Bit Studios continues work on their upcoming existential survival game The Alters, scheduled for launch this June.
