Fans of creative city-building games have a new reason to get excited, as Cities: Skylines – Expanded Edition is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on October 28. The upgraded version of the original city-building hit brings improved performance, additional content, and new tools for players who enjoy designing and managing their own virtual cities.

However, the announcement also raises questions about the future of Cities: Skylines 2, whose PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions remain without a confirmed release date.

Publisher Paradox Interactive has announced Cities: Skylines – Expanded Edition, a new version of the acclaimed 2015 city-building game developed by Colossal Order. The Nintendo Switch 2 release is being handled by Tantalus Media, the studio known for its work on the Nintendo Switch version of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

Priced at $49, the Expanded Edition includes 10 expansions and increases the available building area to 25 tiles, giving players more room to plan neighborhoods, develop transportation networks, and create sprawling urban landscapes.

The new version also introduces several useful improvements, including:

• Keyboard and mouse support for a more precise building experience.
• A map editor that offers additional creative possibilities.
• Improved placement tools for greater control over city layouts.
• Environmental controls to give players more flexibility when shaping their cities.
• Two performance options, with a 30-frames-per-second mode focused on visual quality and a performance mode targeting 60 fps.

The game launches on October 28, with a 70% discount available to players who already own the original Nintendo Switch version.

Three additional content creator packs — Holiday Getaways, Mansions & Manors, and Blueprint Beasts Radio — are also scheduled to arrive on October 28 for the PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One versions of the original game.

While the original Cities: Skylines continues to reach new platforms, the same cannot be said for its sequel. Cities: Skylines 2 was originally planned to launch on PC and consoles simultaneously in October 2023, but its console versions were delayed before release.

The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S editions were initially pushed back to spring 2024. After the PC version launched with significant technical problems, developer Colossal Order spent months addressing performance issues and other problems affecting the game.

The console versions were subsequently delayed again, with October 2024 becoming the next target. That window also passed without a release.

Developers eventually acknowledged that the console editions had not met their intended stability and performance targets. More than two years after the sequel's original launch, players on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S are still waiting for a chance to build their cities on those platforms.

In November 2025, Iceflake Studios took over development of Cities: Skylines 2 from Colossal Order. The studio indicated that continued work on the game's editor and console editions would be part of its efforts.

However, no new release date or substantial update on the console versions has emerged since the transition.

The arrival of Cities: Skylines – Expanded Edition on Nintendo Switch 2 does not necessarily indicate progress on the sequel's console ports. Tantalus Media is developing the new Switch 2 edition, while Iceflake Studios is responsible for the ongoing development of Cities: Skylines 2. The two projects appear to be separate efforts.

The announcement nevertheless highlights the contrast between the two games. The original continues to expand its reach, offering players another way to enjoy its creative city-building experience, while the sequel's console future remains uncertain.

With Cities: Skylines – Expanded Edition arriving on October 28 and the newly announced Lego Skylines also bringing a fresh take on the franchise to PC and consoles, the series still has plenty of activity surrounding it. For players waiting to experience Cities: Skylines 2 on their preferred console, though, a confirmed release date remains the missing piece.