Sins of a Solar Empire 2, the anticipated technique sequel by Ironclad Games that’s being revealed by Stardock, is lastly releasing on Steam this summer time. However unbeknownst to many followers, it successfully stealth launched on the Epic Recreation Store greater than a 12 months in the past — a launch that writer Stardock has principally declined to publicize till now.
Sins of a Solar Empire 2 is the sequel to the cult-favorite PC technique recreation launched in 2008. Like the unique, it is going to mix components of real-time technique with 4X empire-building, however virtually talking it is an excuse to see a lot of cool spaceship battles. The brand new recreation will add help for a number of cores — sure, the unique is that previous — whereas refining quite a few components of the sport, reminiscent of orbiting planets.
The sequel was quietly launched into early entry in late 2022, leaving some followers confused over the nature of Stardock’s relationship with Epic and resulting in hypothesis over whether or not an exclusivity association was in place. Requested for clarification, Epic declined to touch upon phrases with builders and publishers.
A number of months after its preliminary launch, Stardock eliminated the early entry flag however in any other case remained silent. It wasn’t till Wednesday’s announcement that Sins of a Solar Empire 2 went public with a main announcement to followers and the press.
In a assertion despatched to IGN, CEO Brad Wardell defined why Stardock held again its advertising and marketing push till now. “We view Sins 2 as an ongoing service that continues to evolve over time, which you’ll see with our common replace cadence over the previous 18 months because the recreation first appeared on Epic Games Store,” Wardell stated.
“Epic has been and continues to be a nice accomplice, however we all know that many of our followers are devoted to Steam for his or her libraries and we all know we solely get one shot at a Steam launch, so we determined to attend on doing any advertising and marketing push till we have been prepared for that. We’ve been engaged on a huge replace for the previous a number of months to coincide with the Steam launch, and this may even be made accessible to our Epic followers free of charge.”
Sins of a Solar Empire 2 hopes to match the content material of the unique
Elsewhere, Wardell talked about Sins of a Solar Empire 2’s evolution since its late 2022 launch, telling (*2*) that its purpose was to launch Sins of a Solar Empire 2 1.0 with “the identical or extra content material as the unique launch of Sins of a Solar Empire 1.0.”
“As soon as we hit that milestone in early 2023, we turned off the early entry flag and started engaged on what quantities to Sins of a Solar Empire: Revolt characteristic/content material parity which we are going to attain this summer time and is the model being launched onto Steam and as half of a huge free replace for Epic customers,” he stated.
“We’re conscious that most individuals who’ve performed Sins of a Solar Empire assume of Sins of a Solar Empire: Revolt because the definitive model which is why we now have waited till we had reached that degree of content material to start our bigger public consciousness marketing campaign.”
Whereas Sins of a Solar Empire 2 is technically out of early entry, it is from characteristic full. Amongst different issues, Stardock remains to be planning so as to add the Creation Unity race, which is able to develop into accessible alongside the Steam launch. As beforehand talked about, the brand new content material can be made accessible free to customers who already personal Sins of a Solar Empire 2 on Epic Games Store.
“With new methods to play, new tactical choices, and new strategic components, the time is correct to carry Sins of a Solar Empire II to a new viewers on Steam,” stated Stardock publishing director Brian Clair in a launch. “We’ve spent the previous 12 months bringing free month-to-month content material updates to the sport on the Epic Games Store, the place it’s been positively reviewed by followers, and sit up for sharing all that work with Steam gamers whereas persevering with to carry much more new content material to the sport.”
Sins of a Solar Empire 2’s Steam launch date is at the moment listed as Q3 2024. For extra, take a look at our listing of the very best PC video games to play proper now.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s Information Director in addition to co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Ship her a DM at @the_katbot.