Grounded 2 Preview: Riding Ants Thanks to Xbox One’s Absence

When I was wandering around L.A. for Summer Game Fest 2025, Xbox folks kept saying 2025’s all about Obsidian. They’ve got, like, three games dropping this year. Wild, right?

But, Grounded 2 is the one everyone’s buzzing about. A sequel to this co-op survival thing—remember the tiny kids? Yeah, they’re back.

I caught the reveal at the Xbox Games Showcase, and then, somehow, someone let me play 30 minutes of the thing. I got to chat with Chris Parker, who’s like a big deal over at Obsidian. Game director, I think.

So, we hop into this demo, and first thing—bam! The kids are shrunk again. It’s two years since Grounded 1. Why two? No clue, but apparently, they wanted the kids older ‘cause so many young gamers got hooked during, you know, the pandemic mess. Makes sense, I guess.

Oh, and they’ve jumped onto newer Xbox hardware. Probably why it looks… different, maybe better? Whatever, not my tech. But anyway, picture this—teenagers battling cockroaches. Spooky, right?

Crafted a spear, stumbled through a tutorial—fast forward a few hours in-game, and I’ve got this base, cool weapons, and… a Buggy. Yep, you get to ride these bugs. Zooming around faster feels like cheating, almost. Fighting’s a breeze too. Love it or hate it, it’s new.

Fans wanted Buggys so bad that they had to stick them in. Technical stuff on Xbox One was holding them back, apparently. Like, you try being creative with tech limitations? Beats me how they manage.

Chris Parker mentioned how much of a pain it was, figuring things out. Getting new hardware, though? Like a breath of fresh air. Buggys, baby!

Ranting aside, these Buggys add strategy layers. Easy to ride in a demo—I know, because, well, Parker let me have one. But finding a Buggy? Tough. Steal an egg from Fire Ants or something. Not easy. Ants don’t likely cheer you on.

Obsidian’s got Eidos Montreal helping out now. More resources to go big, right? Rumor is the map will triple Grounded 1’s size. Say whaaat!

Chris hopes folks have fun. Big shocker! Also, hoping fans dig the whole Buggy thing. Acting like it’s a big group project—players chat, devs tweak. Guess the feedback matters?

In survival games? Not my go-to genre, but Grounded was kinda fun. Grounded 2? Who knows! Maybe there’ll be a tarantula. Hoping for a tarantula—don’t ask why.

July 29, 2025. Grounded 2 will launch, so mark those gaming calendars. Xbox Series X|S, Cloud, and Windows PC—it’s all on deck. Plus, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate—you’re covered.

Alright, that’s my scattered take. Just, like, enjoy the Buggys and hope they’re less bitey in digital form. Fingers crossed.