Frostpunk 1886 is a full remake, not just a visual upgrade — and yes, Frostpunk 2 updates are still coming

If you thought 11 bit studios was done with Frostpunk, think again. Just six months after Frostpunk 2 dropped, the devs have revealed Frostpunk 1886 — a full remake of the original game, rebuilt from the frozen ground up in Unreal Engine 5 and set for release in 2027.

This isn’t just a remaster with better snow effects. It’s a complete reimagining of the 2018 classic, with new laws, systems, and even a fresh Purpose path to mess with your already morally questionable leadership decisions. And the timing couldn’t be more perfect: Frostpunk 1 was a sleeper hit when it launched, picking up critical acclaim, a massive cult following, and multiple nominations, including Best Strategy Game and Best Game Direction at The Game Awards. The bleak city-builder didn’t just do numbers — it changed how survival games could blend politics, tragedy, and spreadsheets into something truly compelling.

“But Frostpunk 1886 — so titled to honour a pivotal moment in the timeline of the universe — is no mere visual overhaul.”

The first game’s reputation has only grown since, especially as the genre started leaning into harder narratives and more player-driven ethical systems. Frostpunk wasn’t just about keeping a city alive — it was about deciding who gets to survive and at what cost. Child labor laws, radical religion, public executions, overworked automatons. There were no right answers, and that was the point.

So yeah, the idea of bringing that back in a shinier, even more brutal package? Huge. Especially now that it’s being built in Unreal Engine 5, which means, finally, finally — the game will support mods. That was basically impossible with the old Liquid Engine, but now, modders can jump in and start freezing their own horrific little utopias. Total conversions, difficulty tweaks, maybe even a warm-weather mode for the pacifists in the back. Whatever it is, this is going to blow the doors open.

“Reimagining Frostpunk in Unreal Engine also allows the game to become a living, expandable platform... as well as the possibility to add future DLC content.”

But before anyone starts crying sequel fatigue — no, this doesn’t mean Frostpunk 2 is getting sidelined. 11 bit made it very clear that updates, DLC, and the console release for the sequel are still on track. Frostpunk 1886 is its own thing, a parallel project meant to co-exist alongside the newer, more politically complex take on post-apocalyptic governance.

“Fans can look forward to a future where Frostpunk 2 and Frostpunk 1886 evolve side by side — two paths forged in parallel.”

It’s a bold move, for sure. Most studios wouldn’t dare split focus between two flagship titles in the same franchise, but 11 bit seems to be leaning into their own momentum — and their community’s obsession with this miserable, frozen universe. They’ve already proven with This War of Mine and The Alters (which drops this June) that they know how to build stories that matter. Frostpunk just happens to be the one where those stories end in frostbite and starvation.

And let’s be real: the demand is there. Frostpunk 2 might not have gotten quite the same review scores as the original (it pulled an 8/10 on IGN compared to the OG's 9/10), but it expanded the formula in ways that made it feel more like an RPG-strategy hybrid than just another survival sim. More scale, more political depth, and more tension between player freedom and civic collapse.

Still, a lot of players missed the intimacy and focus of the first game — the simplicity of one city, one hope, and one increasingly messed-up leader trying to keep the lights on. Frostpunk 1886 is aiming to bring that feeling back, just with a whole new coat of ice.

If you’re a city-builder fan, or just someone who enjoys watching their moral compass shatter like a frozen thermistor, 2027 just became a year to mark on your calendar. Frostpunk 1886 could be the definitive way to experience one of the most chilling (literally and narratively) strategy games of the last decade.

So stock up on coal, kids. New London’s rising again.