Summary
11-bit Studios has revealedFrostpunk1886, a remake of the original in Unreal Engine. The upcoming game is scheduled to release in 2027.
AlthoughFrostpunk 2was only released last year, 11-bit is already returning to the series with a full remake of the beloved original. Frostpunk was originally released in 2018 on 11-bit’s proprietary Liquid Engine. The studio discarded its engine for Frostpunk 2, which was instead developed on Unreal Engine 5.
Welcome Back to New London
The briefteaser trailerdepicts a generator billowing smoke into the sky as a voice in the background panics about the oncoming storm (whiteout). “It’s coming, it’s coming. Brace yourselves, save yourselves. Save the children, save the children,” the voice croaks as the storm rolls in.
“Rebuilt in Unreal Engine, expanded with a completely new Purpose Path, the long-awaited mod support, and more - all the while staying true to the legacy of the original. Still about survival, still about sacrifice, and about the people of New London. Coming in 2027, the City must…” reads the trailer’s description.
Purpose paths are essentially the ideological directions you can push New London towards. The original Frostpunk had two: order and faith. The former is essentially dictatorial fascism, and the latter is religious zealotry. After all, there are no half-measures in New London. The description suggests there will be a third purpose path.
In Frostpunk 2, purpose paths were replaced by the zeitgeist. Rather than two binary options, the zeitgeist is determined via three axes. These are progress versus adaptation, merit versus equality and tradition versus reason. These axes are more in line with modern political cleavages than Frostpunk’s system.
Frostpunk 1886 may adapt something from the zeitgeist system as a new purpose path. For example, progress could be a potential third technology-focused path separate from order and faith.
The original Frostpunk had you desperately trying to manage the city of New London amidst a volcanic winter, forcing you into questionable moral and political decisions to ensure the city’s survival. It maintained the grimdark tone 11-bit became known for with This War of Mine. As the trailer promises, we can expect more of the same from Frostpunk 1886.
