Paradox has confirmed that the download size for Cities Skylines 2 is 12 times larger than the original Cities Skylines 1. The new city-building game won’t be available for preloading. Despite not meeting internal performance targets, Paradox plans to release Cities Skylines 2 on its original intended release date. Additionally, Paradox has introduced a new platform for Cities Skylines 2 mods, outlining how they will be created and distributed to players.
The download size for Cities Skylines 2 is approximately 50 GB upon release, while Cities Skylines 1, according to official system requirements, requires only 4 GB of free space. Based on official information, this makes Cities Skylines 2’s download size roughly 12.5 times larger than its predecessor. The forthcoming DLCs for Cities Skylines 2 are expected to further increase the game’s size on your hard drive.
It’s worth noting that the download size of the original Cities Skylines can vary, with some compression to fit on smaller hard drives. Some players have reported sizes of around 5 GB to accommodate patches and updates. The Windows 10 edition of Cities Skylines, available on Game Pass, is 16.6 GB, which is still considerably smaller than the stated size of Cities Skylines 2.
Paradox has also confirmed that preloading won’t be available for Cities Skylines 2. Players will have to wait until the release date to start downloading the game.
Regarding Cities Skylines 2 mods, Paradox is establishing a new platform for their creation and distribution, emphasizing that there will never be any paid mods. They have been working on this platform from the beginning of Cities Skylines 2’s development, with a more extensive vision than what was implemented for Cities Skylines 1. The goal is to provide a smooth experience for the modding community, taking feedback and suggestions into account.
Paradox will automatically download updates for installed mods. They will moderate Cities Skylines 2 mods, and the performance and download speed may be influenced by the number and size of mods a player is using.
Paradox is working on optimizing the mod update process to allow for differential updates, meaning only the new or updated parts of the mod will be downloaded. They are also working on enabling the synchronization of multiple mods simultaneously.
Despite Cities Skylines 2 falling short of internal performance targets, Paradox remains committed to releasing the game as scheduled. Players can explore the expansive new maps and revised system requirements for Cities Skylines 2.