During the Future Games Show Summer Showcase, Frogwares announced that its upcoming survival horror title, The Sinking City 2, will launch on August 18, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
The announcement was accompanied by a brand-new trailer, “Welcome to Arkham,” offering a fresh look at the game’s Lovecraftian setting, combat, exploration, and terrifying eldritch creatures.
We were fortunate enough to play the demo ahead of its release and came away impressed by just how much The Sinking City 2 has evolved from Frogwares’ previous projects. The visual fidelity is a significant step up, while the gameplay systems feel deeper and more refined than ever before.
The demo shows off how Frogwares is leaning more into survival horror, with several clear inspirations from Resident Evil – from the save rooms to the healing herbs. While we thoroughly enjoyed the demo, performance issues were impossible to ignore, with frequent slowdowns significantly impacting our experience. To the studio’s credit, a disclaimer at the start of the demo warns players that optimization is still a work in progress, so hopefully this is sorted by launch.
The demo also highlights Frogwares’ increased focus on survival horror, with clear influences from genre staples such as Resident Evil, such as the save rooms and combat. Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed playing the demo, we were frequently hindered by performance issues, which thankfully Frogwares did acknowledge upfront with a disclaimer noting that optimization is still ongoing.
Development on The Sinking City 2 began in January 2023 and has been heavily impacted by the ongoing war in Ukraine. Frogwares, whose 90-plus-person team is primarily based in the country, has faced constant disruptions throughout production, including power outages, air raid alerts, and staff members being called up for military service.
Despite those challenges, Frogwares has now reached a major milestone, with the studio finally able to put a release date on the long-awaited sequel. If the demo is anything to go by, the wait may well have been worth it.
The Sinking City 2 launches on August 18, 2026, for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. The free Steam demo is available now.
