We’re gearing up for the release of Grounded 2 into Game Preview on Xbox and PC on July 29, so naturally, it’s starting to find its way back into the headlines.
This latest comes courtesy of an interview between Eurogamer and Marcus Morgan, Executive Producer for Grounded 2 at Obsidian.
Simply put, Morgan was asked about the plans for Grounded 2 when it comes to PS5 and Nintendo Switch. The original Grounded was one of the first wave of Xbox IP that broke free of Microsoft’s console exclusivity and headed to Sony and Nintendo platforms.
The response to the question drew on this, while providing a subtle tease.
“Can’t talk about that right now. But I will say that Grounded 1 is on all of those platforms so…”
Marcus Morgan (Obsidian), in interview with Eurogamer.
At this point, I don’t think anyone would argue it’s almost expected that a game like Grounded 2 would eventually join the PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 library.
However, the when is likely a fair way into the future. For one, it’ll depend on how long it spends in Game Preview/Steam Early Access (the exact same things, just given different names.)
Grounded spent about two years in early access before its 1.0 release, and then around 18 months on from that, Microsoft announced it was heading to PS5 and Nintendo Switch.
The decisions to go cross-platform will be taken much earlier in a development cycle now, though. The band-aid has been ripped off, so it’s likely that any plans are already on a whiteboard somewhere. Even if it ends up being in 2027 or 2028.
The same interview also touched upon how long Obsidian thinks that Grounded 2 will be in its early access phase.
… you definitely need the time. We were in early access for Grounded 1 for about two years, and that gave us enough time to meaningfully take community feedback and actually adjust the game. Roughly that window again, but the appropriate amount of time to make it right.
Marcus Morgan (Obsidian), in interview with Eurogamer.
We can trust that Obsidian is going to take its time and do things right, however long it takes. If you’re disappointed to hear you’re going to be in for a lengthy wait if you don’t have an Xbox or play on PC, at least look at the bright side.
The folks playing on those platforms in early access are going to help shape the game into the finished product you’ll most likely be getting in the future. As hyped as we are to get our hands on Grounded 2, we’re about to get the first, early access build.
There’s a long way to go from here.
Grounded 2 will launch on Xbox Game Preview for console and PC and Steam Early Access on July 29, 2025. It will also be available through Xbox Game Pass on console and PC throughout the early access period.
