Grounded 2 is the sequel to the popular survival adventure game Grounded, developed by Obsidian Entertainment and Eidos Montreal, and published by Xbox Game Studios. Set to release in Early Access on July 29, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Xbox Cloud Gaming, it will also be available on day one with Xbox Game Pass. The game is priced at $29.99 USD during Early Access, with a $39.99 Founder’s Edition that includes extra skins, a digital artbook, and soundtrack. It supports Xbox Play Anywhere, allowing cross-platform play and save sharing between Xbox and PC.
The game is set two years after the original, in the new location of Brookhollow Park. Players control returning characters—Pete, Max, Willow, and Hoops—who are shrunk to ant size again after a mysterious explosion. They must survive hostile bugs, uncover a new mysterious enemy leaving graffiti, and find a way to return to normal size. The sequel expands on the original with a larger open world, new mechanics, an overhauled skill system, enhanced crafting, and improved combat with dodging and smarter AI. A key feature is the “Buggy” system, allowing players to raise, ride, and fight alongside bugs like Fire Ants and Orb-Weaver Spiders, each with unique abilities for combat or resource hauling. The game supports solo play or 4-player online co-op and is built on Unreal Engine 5 for more detailed environments. It’s optimized for Xbox Series X|S with 4K Ultra HD, HDR, and 60 FPS support
Grounded 2 has higher hardware requirements than the original due to its use of Unreal Engine 5 and expanded features, but it remains accessible to older systems on minimum settings. The game requires 40 GB of storage, a significant increase from the original’s 8 GB. An SSD is recommended for better load times and performance, though not strictly required. Below are the official minimum and recommended specs:
Minimum Requirements
OS: Windows 10/11 x64bit
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 / Intel i5-8400
Memory: 16GB RAM
Graphics Card: AMD RX 5700 / Nvidia GTX 1070 / Intel Arc A580
Storage: 40GB Available Space
DirectX: Version 12
Recommended Requirements
OS: Windows 10/11 x64bit
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X / Intel i7-10700K
Memory: 16GB RAM
Graphics Card: AMD RX 6800 XT / Nvidia RTX 3080
Storage: 40GB Available Space
DirectX: Version 12
For minimum requirements, players need a 64-bit Windows 10 or 11 operating system, an Intel Core i5-8400 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600 processor, 16 GB of RAM, and a graphics card such as the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, AMD Radeon RX 5700, or Intel Arc A580, paired with 40 GB of available storage space and DirectX 12. These specs are expected to support gameplay on low settings, likely achieving around 30 FPS at 1080p, though specific performance targets haven’t been detailed by the developers.
For a smoother and more visually impressive experience, the recommended requirements include an Intel Core i7-10700K or AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU, 16 GB of RAM, and a more powerful GPU like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, alongside the same 40 GB storage and Windows 10/11 64-bit OS. While an SSD isn’t explicitly required, installing the game on one is strongly advised to reduce load times and improve system responsiveness, especially given the game’s 40 GB size—five times larger than the original Grounded’s 8 GB. Compared to other 2025 titles, Grounded 2’s minimum specs are relatively modest, accommodating hardware nearly a decade old, but the recommended specs target modern rigs for high settings, likely at 1440p or 4K with 60 FPS. Players with older systems, such as those meeting the original Grounded’s requirements (e.g., 4 GB RAM, GTX 650 Ti), may struggle, as the sequel’s enhanced mechanics, larger world, and detailed environments demand significantly more power.