The Sinking City 2 Delayed to First Half of 2026 Due to War Impact and Genre Shift

Ukrainian studio Frogwares has announced that its upcoming title The Sinking City 2 has been delayed to the first half of 2026, citing the ongoing war in Ukraine and a significant shift in the game’s design direction. The sequel was originally expected to arrive in 2025, but the studio has opted to take more time to adapt to the challenging conditions and the new creative demands of switching genres.

In an official statement, Sergiy Oganesyan, Head of Publishing at Frogwares, described the difficulties of developing a large-scale game amid constant attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure.

“Developing a game during a war isn’t something you can ever really prepare for, but something you need to keep adapting to,” Oganesyan said. “At one point, we were losing power for days as drones and missiles hit our power grid. When that tactic stopped working, it became mass drone swarms every other night, going from midnight until dawn. You work all day, then spend the sleepless night listening for explosions, and somehow still need to function the next morning. These things all slowed us down regularly to the point where it just doesn’t make sense to try to rush what we have left to meet a date that we no longer feel is worth chasing.”

He added that uncertainty remains high as winter approaches, emphasizing that the team prefers to “be ready to adapt again” rather than risk burnout or lower quality in their work.

Beyond the war’s direct impact, The Sinking City 2 is also being delayed due to a major genre shift. Unlike the first game, which focused on investigation and narrative-driven adventure, the sequel is now being developed as a survival horror title.

Lead Game Designer Alexander Gresko explained that this change has been creatively invigorating but has also brought new complexities to the project.

“Switching to survival horror for the first time has been a whole new kind of challenge for us in itself, too,” said Gresko. “We’ve been making investigation adventures for more than twenty years, but survival horror asks for a completely different kind of design thinking. Tension, pacing, combat, it’s exciting, but it definitely makes development slower.”

The new direction aims to blend Frogwares’ signature atmospheric storytelling with more intense gameplay mechanics centered on fear, combat, and psychological tension. The studio plans to showcase new gameplay footage and updates in the coming months as development progresses.

Frogwares, known for titles like The Sinking City (2019) and Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened, has been one of several Ukrainian studios continuing production despite the war, maintaining operations under extraordinary conditions. The delay underscores the resilience of the team and their determination to deliver a fully realized vision for their next major project.

Are you excited to see The Sinking City evolve into a full survival horror experience, or do you prefer its detective roots? Share your thoughts below.