Grounded 2 Coming to Game Pass Preview
Get ready to leave the backyard and ride some bugs!
During the Xbox Games Showcase 2025 on Sunday, Microsoft and Obsidian Entertainment revealed their third game of the calendar year following Avowed and Outer Worlds 2: Grounded 2, a sequel to the sandbox survival game where you and up to three of your friends play teenagers shrunken by science gone haywire. Eidos Montreal has also partnered with Obsidian to provide assistance with development on the project.
The short trailer for Grounded 2 begins by catching you up on the story: several years have passed since the four teens escaped the backyard and regrew to normal size alongside BURG.L the robot, and now a new explosion at a local park has provided the same effect again. The video goes on to promise a new area of play with brand new biomes, unique new enemies like scorpions and mantises, and new mechanics like tameable and rideable bugs.
After the Showcase, Obsidian hosted their own Direct. While it mostly focused on Outer Worlds 2, they did take some time to discuss some details about Grounded 2. The team discussed several details about the finer points of the game and what you can expect going into the early access title.
The team discussed how they’re focusing on three archetypes for players to specialize in: tank, rogue, hunter, and mage. While mutations make a return, they’ll be separated into passive and active, and will allow much more refinement over differing playstyles.
Obsidian also discussed one of their favorite new features: rideable bugs or “buggies.” Featuring two at launch, the red ant soldier and the orb weaver spider, these mounts will help you traverse the park with ease and help out in fights. The red ant soldier summons worker ants to assist with your construction projects and the orb weaver has several combat abilities that help you disable and debilitate your foes.
Finally, they discussed the new game area, Brookhollow Park. Down the street from the backyard from the first title, the team boasted that this map is three times the size of that backyard, with the starting area as big as the entire first game. This park is closed off, with the citizens of the town being told to evacuate. This provides an interesting snapshot where items are left abandoned, creating unique landmarks and environmental opportunities. The team teased a tipped over ice cream cart, which creates a snowy ice biome to explore.
The development team at Obsidian promised sparser updates with more content, and made comments about holding back content until they saw how players engaged with the tools in the new game. They confirmed their excitement to develop the game alongside player feedback and community dialogue.
Grounded 2 hits the Xbox Preview Program and Steam on July 29th. Did you play the first game or will you be diving in with the sequel? Let us know in the comments below!