Cities Skylines 2 DLC is being refunded and added to the base game for free after being “rushed out” in an unsatisfactory state.
Mariina Hallikainen, the CEO of developer Colossal Order, and Mattias Lilja, the deputy CEO of publisher Paradox Interactive, apologised to players for the latest in a series of disappointments in a forum post published on Thursday.
After Cities Skylines 2 was released for PC with various issues last October, Colossal Order said it was delaying the launch of DLC included in the game’s Ultimate Edition so that it could prioritise performance improvements and bug fixes.
It moved the launch of the game’s first asset pack, Beach Properties, from last year to the first quarter of 2024. Following its release on March 25, the DLC was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews by Steam players, with many criticising both the quality and the quantity of the content.
“We see and understand the disappointment many of you have expressed after the release of Cities: Skylines II and the recent release of Beach Properties,” Hallikainen and Lilja said in their joint statement released today.
“We asked for your patience and support, and you’ve shown those. In return, we let you down. We thought we could make up for the shortcomings of the game in a timeframe that was unrealistic, and rushed out a DLC that should not have been published in its current form. For all this, we are truly sorry.
“When we’ve made statements like this one before, it’s included a pledge to keep making improvements, and while we are working on these updates, they haven’t happened at a speed or magnitude that is acceptable, and it pains us that we’ve now lost the trust of many of you. We want to do better.”
Players who bought the Beach Properties DLC standalone for $9.99/£8.49/€9.99 will be refunded and the content will be added to the base game for free.
Those who purchased the DLC as part of the game’s Ultimate Edition won’t receive a refund, but are instead being offered additional content at no extra charge.
“This is due to the distribution of the Ultimate Edition across digital and physical storefronts, which create significant complexities for executing a partial refund,” Hallikainen and Lilja said. “We realize that this is far from ideal, especially given the dedication those who have stayed with us since launch have shown.
“We are committed to repaying that loyalty, and therefore, we will compensate Ultimate Edition holders by adding 3 Creator Packs and 3 Radio Stations which, together, sum up to a value of USD 39.99. This solution hopefully ensures that you, regardless of purchase method, feel you receive fair compensation.”
We have written an FAQ that should answer your questions, starting with the information about the compensation for Beach Properties and the many meaningful changes we want to make to the way we approach the game’s development.
Read the FAQ here –https://t.co/9r4nkIuvo3 pic.twitter.com/2QqkJDWqBm
— Cities: Skylines (@CitiesSkylines) April 18, 2024
Future paid DLC has also been further delayed so that Colossal Order can have “a complete focus on improving the base game and modding tools”. This means the Bridges and Ports expansion will now be released in 2025.
In a bid to improve communication with the game’s community and be more transparent, Colossal Order and Paradox also said they plan to meet with a group of player representatives to address concerns and answer any questions they have.
The game’s release for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, which was previously delayed from October to spring 2024, has also been pushed back again.
“We have been hesitant to communicate an actual release window because of the uncertainty we are facing, and to not make further promises we might not be able to keep,” the companies said.
“We have been struggling to get Cities: Skylines II to the necessary level of optimization for a console release, but are now hopeful that an upcoming build delivery in April will demonstrate sufficient progress for us to progress with a release candidate, and then a release build targeted for October.
“Before we have seen and evaluated the progress made in these builds however, we will not be able to confirm the release date, and even then, some uncertainty always remains. Our ambition is to deliver the experience that you all deserved at launch, but it will take time.
“It’s important to note that the team working on the console release operates separately from our PC development team, so it will be progressing without splitting our focus or time.
“In closing, we want to reaffirm our dedication to making Cities: Skylines II the best city builder it can be. We appreciate your support and feedback, and hope we can regain your trust going forward. It’s our responsibility to earn it, and we hope these actions are a first step in the right direction.”
