Frostpunk 1886 developer wants you to feel bad about exploiting child labor this time around

If you weren't already aware of Frostpunk 1886, developer 11 bit studios announced earlier this year that it's reimagining the debut game in its popular survival series. However, we know very little about it, other than the fact it's adding a bunch of new content and is due to release sometime in 2027. Thankfully, game director Maciej Sulecki has appeared at 11 bit's new showcase to shed some light on what we can expect from the forthcoming remake.

The original Frostpunk remains a stalwart on our list of the best survival games ever made, and bringing that icy, evocative gameplay to a new engine is an exciting prospect. But 11 bit promises that this will be more than your average remake, adding new mechanics, events, laws, technologies, mod support, and a third Purpose Path for players to sink their teeth into.

Sulecki shares a bunch of cool concept art for Frostpunk 1886, and says that the studio is currently focusing on the people of New London. With improved animations and motion capture, your citizens will have more detail and personality. We see early development footage of a child playing with a stick and hugging a parent - all very emotive stuff. It's not quite XCOM levels of despair when the soldier you named after your cat dies on a mission, but you might feel a shred more remorse at exploiting child labor this time around.  Then again, morals go out the window when the survival of Earth's last city is on the line.

As well as the focus on creating more realistic people, a new lighting rig will amp up the game's frosty atmosphere, and new building textures will immerse you in the city's dilapidated streets better than ever before.

Interestingly, Sulecki also says that the WIP art shown is still "about two years ahead of the release," which suggests that we might be waiting until the end of 2027 to get our hands on the game. Then again, maybe he's just playing it cool or anticipating the worst-case scenario. Either way, 11 bit has offered no official communication to narrow down that release date to a specific month or quarter.

The new concept art for Frostpunk 1886 looks suitably atmospheric, but I'm waiting to see some real gameplay before getting properly excited. We're still early in development, but I'm hoping we get some kind of in-engine trailer at some point next year. Details for the new Purpose Path and how modding will work are also high up on my list of changes I want Sulecki to dive deep into in future, but I'll remain patient for the time being. Get your coat, 2027 can't come soon enough.