Frostpunk 2 Steam Guide: Specs, DLC, Deck and Updates

What the Steam Version Gives You

PC is where 11 bit studios' city-survival sequel started, and more than two years after launch the Frostpunk 2 Steam release has grown into a big package of story scenarios, sandbox content and mods. It came out on September 20, 2024, for Windows and macOS. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions followed on September 18, 2025. If you're deciding where to buy, it helps to know exactly what the Steam build includes, what hardware it needs and which expansions are out or coming.

On Steam, Frostpunk 2 is a single-player Simulation and Strategy game. It supports these Steam features:

• Steam Achievements (79 in total) and Steam Trading Cards
• Steam Workshop, backed by the official FrostKit modding tool
• Steam Cloud and Family Sharing
• Full controller support, including DualShock, DualSense and the Steam Input API
• Adjustable difficulty, adjustable text size, custom volume controls and Save Anytime
• Stereo and surround sound

Fourteen languages are supported. English and Simplified Chinese have full audio, and the rest are interface and subtitles: French, Italian, German, Spanish (Spain), Japanese, Korean, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Traditional Chinese and Ukrainian. There's no Linux build.

Critics rate it well, with a Metacritic score of 85. Steam user reviews are Mostly Positive, with 78% of 9,652 reviews recommending it. The game also has Twitch integration, which lets stream viewers vote on laws in the Council Hall.

PC and Mac System Requirements

Plan around the storage requirement first. The game needs 30 GB and requires an SSD at every tier. A 64-bit processor and OS are mandatory, and DirectX 12 is required on Windows.

Image: Steam / 11 bit studios

Component	Minimum (Windows)	Recommended (Windows)
OS	Windows 10/11 (64-bit)	Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 1600 / Intel Core i5-8400	AMD Ryzen 7 3700X / Intel Core i7-10700
RAM	8 GB	16 GB
GPU	AMD RX 550 4 GB / NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti 4 GB / Intel Arc A310 4 GB	AMD RX 5700 8 GB / NVIDIA RTX 2060 Super 8 GB / Intel Arc A770 8 GB
Storage	30 GB, SSD required	30 GB, SSD required

On Mac you need Apple silicon. The minimum spec is an M1 with 8 GB of memory on macOS 14.5, which runs the game on very low to low settings. The recommended spec is an M1 Pro or better with 16 GB on the latest macOS, which targets medium settings.

Even strong PCs can see occasional frame rate dips. The simulation runs a lot of math behind the scenes while it renders dense districts, so give yourself some headroom above minimum spec if you plan on large late-game cities with several colonies.

Playing Frostpunk 2 on Steam Deck

The game runs on Steam Deck better than you might expect, with a few caveats:

Image: Steam / 11 bit studios

Setting	Value
Graphics preset	Low
Upscaler	TSR at Ultra Performance
Frame target	30 FPS (40 FPS is achievable)
UI text scale	Increase it in settings

Under TSR the image stays clean. FSR and XeSS work too, but they don't buy enough extra performance to justify the softer image. Raising settings above low pushes RAM usage up and can crash the game, and memory pressure grows as your city expands. Auto-save softens the blow, but cap the frame rate at 30 and stay on the low preset for long sessions. Frame drops show up most on the council screen, but everything is at a standstill there, so it barely matters.

Small text in some menus is the main readability issue, even after you scale up the UI. Patch 1.4 added full controller support and an improved UI.

DLC, Editions and the Roadmap

Three paid expansions make up the post-launch plan, alongside free content updates for everyone who owns the base game.

Image: Steam / 11 bit studios

Release	Date	What it adds
Free Major Content Update	May	New heat mechanics, a new Utopia Builder map, challenges with new quests
Fractured Utopias	December 8th	8 faction skill trees, faction hubs and housing variants, 100+ events, "Plague" and "Doomsayers" Tales, a new map
Breach of Trust	June 23, 2026	New Edinburgh and Aurora story scenario, five communities and factions, Tremors and Volcano Night hazards, Independent Colony system
The Surge	December 14, 2026	Final story scenario in the frozen remains of the USA, a Tesla-themed automation resource, storm-harvesting tech

Each expansion launch also brought free extras for base-game owners. Alongside Fractured Utopias, everyone got an extra Utopia Builder map and new Centrist policies, while the DLC itself came with a redesigned main menu and the option to force your starting faction. Breach of Trust added the Aurora and Twilight Waters maps, a simplified Volcano Night challenge for Utopia Builder, and the Fishing Hub.

The Surge is the last story-driven scenario. Once it ships, active support drops to minor fixes, and the Deluxe Edition becomes a complete package with all released content. If you plan to own everything, the Deluxe Edition is the cleanest buy after December 14. At launch the Deluxe Edition also unlocked the game three days early.

Keep an eye out for discounts. The game was 50% off ahead of Breach of Trust, and the Frostpunk Franchise Sale went up to 90% on select products. Wishlist it if you're not in a rush.

Patches and What Recent Updates Changed

The current patch line is 1.6.x. Hotfix 1.6.1 targeted Breach of Trust balance and crashes. It also brought these changes:

• Starting prefabs in the New Edinburgh scenario rose from 30 to 130, starting materials and goods were increased, and extra coal outposts were added to the Frostland.
• Tremors were reduced on Steward and Officer difficulty, and a weather edge case was removed that could keep Act 2 at -40 for 100 weeks.
• A Skip Battle button was added, along with controller fixes for the Generator Relocation law and the platoon sliders.

Earlier, Patch 1.5.4 cut memory use, reduced shadow counts for better GPU performance, and fixed UI artifacts on RTX 50-series cards. If you had stability problems in 2025, the current build is worth a fresh install.

Breach of Trust's launch patch also rebalanced Frostland outposts to make them more demanding. Coal Mining Complex output dropped from 400 to 200, Old Derrick oil fell from 320 to 200, and several stockpiles now run out twice as fast. Early research speed bonuses were trimmed as well, so build orders from 2024 guides won't carry over exactly.

Workshop Mods and FrostKit

FrostKit has been available since launch. It lets you build your own maps, models and scenarios, and you share them through the Steam Workshop. The community has gone far with it. The official modding contest drew new buildings, new laws and even multiplayer concepts. FrostKit gets updated with the game too; Hotfix 1.5.3 shipped with FrostKit 1.5.3, for example.

Achievements Worth Knowing

The 79 Steam achievements span the story, Utopia Builder and the DLC Tales. Highlighted ones include FrostCity, Urban Planner, Lawmaker, Checks and balances, Revered Leader, Pork Barrel and Likeable. A few DLC achievements were fixed in Patch 1.5.4:

• "Art in Ruins" no longer resets if the worn-out district is disabled during the required 100 weeks.
• "We are not the same" now unlocks correctly after starting Utopia Builder eight times with different factions.
• "Miracle Worker" now counts only Plague deaths.

There's also an achievement for finishing a playthrough with no avoidable deaths, and it counts in the main story.

FAQ

How does Frostpunk 2 run on Steam Deck?

It holds 30 FPS comfortably on the low preset with TSR at Ultra Performance, and 40 FPS is reachable. Expect small text in some menus and keep settings low to avoid RAM-related crashes.

Does the Steam version support controllers?

Yes. Patch 1.4 added full controller support on PC, including DualShock and DualSense, on the same day the console versions launched.

Can I play Frostpunk 2 on Mac through Steam?

Yes. macOS is supported on Apple silicon, starting from an M1 with 8 GB of memory on macOS 14.5.

Which edition should I buy?

Buy the Deluxe Edition if you want every expansion. It becomes the complete package once The Surge launches on December 14, 2026.