Cities: Skylines 1 Gets First New Expansion in Two Years Amid Sequel's Struggles

The Original City Builder Gets New Life

Two years after its last expansion, the original Cities: Skylines is getting new content. Paradox Interactive has announced a new expansion for Cities: Skylines 1, a move widely interpreted as an acknowledgment that the sequel has failed to win over the established playerbase.

Cities: Skylines 2's Troubled Launch

Cities: Skylines 2 launched in October 2023 to mixed reviews. Players criticized poor performance optimization, missing features, and a lack of mod support that made the original so beloved. While developer Colossal Order has been patching steadily, restoring full player confidence has proven difficult.

“Having a sequel so bad you'd rather create DLC for the first game tells you a lot... I believe the original dev team no longer works on this franchise.”

Subscription Controversy

Adding to the controversy, Paradox also announced a reduction in subscription pricing — the mere existence of a subscription model in Cities: Skylines drew criticism from the community, with many players feeling it's an inappropriate monetization model for a city-builder.

A Vote of Confidence for the Original

For the loyal fanbase that never left Cities: Skylines 1 — thanks to its rich modding ecosystem and refined gameplay — this news is a welcome surprise. Paradox's decision to invest in the original rather than double down on a struggling sequel signals a pragmatic pivot toward where the players actually are.