Shake-up in Mod Distribution on the Cards for Cities: Skylines 2 Amidst Anticipated Launch Issues

Fans of Cities: Skylines, which reassured gamers disillusioned by 2013's SimCity reboot with classic offline play and mod support, shouldn't expect its sequel to feature mod support via Steam Workshop.

In an official declaration on its community forums, Paradox Interactive stated that it would switch to its Paradox Mods platform for the distribution of Cities: Skylines 2 mods. This platform, unique to the publisher, would become the exclusive channel for mods of the sequel, revealing that the support for Steam Workshop would cease.

While some fans might feel let down since Steam Workshop provides an easy method for finding and implementing mods, the Paradox Mods platform promises some advantages. Notably, it allows Paradox to cater to both PC and console gamers with asset mods. Furthermore, Paradox stated that the shift enables them to build an "integrated in-game experience" around mods that could match the convenience of Steam Workshop.

Currently, the Paradox Mods platform only houses over a hundred mods for the original Cities: Skylines, as compared to the tens of thousands available on Steam Workshop. It remains to be seen how it will perform while organizing a vast catalog of mods for the sequel. However, other Paradox titles, such as Hearts of Iron 4, seem to fare well, with over 30,000 mods on this platform.

Unfortunately, the mod tools for Cities: Skylines 2 will not be polished in time for its planned October 24 release. Paradox announced that the “in-game editor” is still in beta and will be introduced sometime after the game's release.

Paradox expressed its anticipation for the wealth of creativity the modification community will bring in a statement. They mentioned working in tandem with talented creators to make sure a plethora of stunning mods will be ready for users by the time the mod platform is launched.

However, Paradox also dropped a note of caution. They candidly warned gamers to expect hiccups in game performance when Cities: Skylines 2 is unveiled next week. While game performance issues are common at launches, open advisories like this one from developers are rather uncommon.