Cities Skylines 2 publisher refunds DLC and admits: "We let you down"
"We see and understand the disappointment."
Cities Skylines 2 publisher Paradox Interactive and developer Colossal Order have issued a stark apology for the state of the game and the release of its recent DLC, admitting to fans: "We let you down".
"We see and understand the disappointment," the companies behind the city sim sequel write in their joint statement - a message which repeatedly apologises for the missteps which led to Cities Skylines 2 being released in such a state, and announces that anyone who purchased the Beach Properties DLC would be refunded. Work on any future paid DLC has now been postponed indefinitely.
"We asked for your patience and support, and you've shown those," the statement reads. "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."
Beach Properties was criticised by fans for being lacklustre in content and overpriced. Paradox will now make the add-on free, and provide additional content for Ultimate Edition owners of Cities Skylines 2 in recompense. Those looking for refunds can find more information here.
"We will change the pack to be a free addition to the game, refund it to the extent possible, and provide additional content within the Ultimate Edition," the statement continues. "Unfortunately, it will not be possible to offer refunds for Ultimate Edition buyers. This is due to the distribution of the Ultimate Edition across digital and physical storefronts, which create significant complexities for executing a partial refund.
"We realise 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 $39.99. This solution hopefully ensures that you, regardless of purchase method, feel you receive fair compensation."
Paradox goes on to pledge that it will provide additional free patches and game updates before any work resumes on paid DLC, meaning the game's next expansion Bridges and Ports will now be released in 2025.
The publisher is also holding an "advisory meeting" with prominent members of the Cities Skylines 2 community to discuss its development plan and provide "full transparency".
Finally, Paradox says the game's console launch will now target October of this year - after previously having been set for this spring.
"We have been struggling to get Cities: Skylines 2 to the necessary level of optimisation 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," Paradox writes.
"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."
Cities Skylines 2 launched in October last year to criticism for its performance and lack of mod support. Paradox has repeatedly said it will work to fix the game, though enraged fans by selling the Beach Properties DLC while work was still ongoing, despite an earlier pledge to the contrary.