French
DeutschEndless Legend 2
| Endless Legend 2 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Amplitude Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Hooded Horse |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows |
| Release | August 7, 2025 (early access) |
| Genre(s) | 4X |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Endless Legend 2 is an upcoming 4X video game developed by Amplitude Studios and published by Hooded Horse. A sequel to Endless Legend (2014), the game is set to be released through early access on August 7, 2025 for Microsoft Windows.
Gameplay
[edit]Endless Legend 2 is a turn-based 4X video game in which a player chooses a faction, as they seek to establish an empire through exploration, conquest, diplomacy and research. The full game features six factions for players to choose from. As with the first game, it utilizes a hex-based grid to represent its map. Each faction has their own unique gameplay mechanics. For instance, the Aspects can spread coral spores to the hexes belonging to other factions, and use them to infest the minds of opponents.[1] The game has nine victory conditions: score victory, domination victory (if the player successfully defeats all other factions militarily), and seven types of "narrative" victory conditions.
The game is set in an oceanic world named Saiadha. The map in the game is procedural generated at the beginning of a playthrough. Saiadha is affected by a natural phenomeonon named "tidefalls", in which ocean levels will recede, opening up new areas for players to explore.[2] Players will establish camps to claim control to a region, and then expand them into cities using "influence". As players explore, they will encounter units from other factions. They can choose to trade with them, absorb them into the player's factions, and dominate them completely in battle.[3] Unlike its predecessor, combat is more involved, and players need to issue commands to unit and position them manually.[4]
Development
[edit]The game is currently being developed by Amplitude Studios. Since Amplitude bought itself out from Sega and became an independent company in November 2024, it was unable to self-publish the game. CEO of Amplitude, Romain de Waubert de Genlis, approached Hooded Horse and negotiated a publishing deal with them in two weeks.[5]
The "Tidefall" mechanic was designed to encourage late-game exploration, as Amplitude recognized that one common pitfall of 4X games is that players often stop exploring after the early game. The team decided against adding a mechanic that would see rising ocean levels reclaiming cities and destroying units, as they felt players would not appreciate their hard-earned efforts being destroyed easily. The game's combat system was drawn from Amplitude's previous work on Humankind.[4]
Endless Legend 2 was announced in January 2025.[6] The game is set to be released through early access on August 7, 2025.[7] The early access version of the game will have four factions available for players.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ Evans-Thirwell, Edwin (April 3, 2025). "Endless Legend 2's coral hivemind faction is the most sinister 4X "diplomacy" playstyle in a while". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ^ Allsop, Ken (June 9, 2025). "The Endless Legend 2 release date is set, as the fantasy 4X game takes on Civ 7". PCGamesN. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ^ Zak, Robert (April 10, 2025). "After years of historical 4X games, Endless Legend 2 is a much-needed flight of fantasy for the genre". PC Gamer. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ^ a b Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (April 10, 2025). "Endless Legend 2 is everything I love about 2014's best 4X, but on a map that's constantly changing". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ^ Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (April 17, 2025). "Endless legends: how Amplitude bought their independence back from Sega". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ^ Bonk, Lawrence (January 25, 2025). "Endless Legend 2 is real and there's a mysterious trailer to prove it". Engadget. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ^ Sinha, Ravi (June 9, 2025). "Endless Legend 2 Enters Steam Early Access on August 7th". GamingBolt. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ^ Wales, Matt (January 23, 2025). "Endless Legend 2 is a fantasy 4X where players are at the mercy of shifting seasons and monstrous tides". Eurogamer. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
