The wait for Slime Rancher 2 is finally coming to an end for fans of the Monomi Park series now that an official release date has been announced. While fans will still have awhile to wait before the game officially comes out, the Early Access release date is coming soon, following the path of the original Slime Rancher‘s gradually expanding features, which should give the most impatient fans something to sink their teeth into for the interim.
When Monomi Park released Slime Rancher in 2016, it was in Early Access, giving players an idea of its gameplay and concepts as the team expanded on its ideas and took feedback into consideration. Certain slimes, locations, and story elements were missing but were slowly added over time. Additionally, Slime Rancher did not release on all platforms, with the order of its official releases being the Xbox One and PC in 2017, the PlayStation 4 in 2018, and the Nintendo Switch much later in 2021.
Slime Rancher 2 will launch with new slime types into Early Access on September 22. Furthermore, the game will only be available on Steam, the Epic Game Store, and the Xbox Series X and S. Though this means fans will have to wait for a complete version of Slime Rancher 2 (or any version at all on the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch), Slime Rancher Director Nick Popovich has detailed what to expect when the game comes releases to Early Access next month in a Reddit AMA.
What To Expect In Slime Rancher 2 Early Access
According to Popovich, Slime Rancher 2‘s Early Access “will not have all of the features, slimes, environments, items, story, etc. that will ultimately be found in the full game.” That being said, Popovich clarified that Monomi Games has ensured that Slime Rancher‘s sequel will have all the fossils, slimes, and areas needed to provide a fulfilling experience in its Early Launch state. The new setting of Rainbow Island will have new slimes, various locations, and an intriguing mystery that are as polished a completed game’s and which will only be built upon as updates are added. These updates, too, will be incorporated in ways that seamlessly continue players’ adventures on Rainbow Island in hopes that the additions to Slime Rancher 2 do not interfere with gameplay, according to Popovich.
Unfortunately, there are no confirmed dates for when Slime Rancher 2 could become available on other platforms, leaving out PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch Slime Rancher players for the time being. Additionally, there are no confirmed dates for the future updates coming to Slime Rancher 2‘s early access, though given that the original Slime Rancher has already set a track record for its early access content, hopefully players won’t have to wait too long for updates to come to the game.
Indeed, Popovich wishes to make it clear that Monomi Games’ decision to release Slime Rancher 2 to early access was a choice made on good faith. Popovich even encourages players who prefer to wait for a completed Slime Rancher 2 to save their $29.99 – the base retail rate for the game – until Monomi Games can release the completed version: “We have no intention of delivering updates in a knowingly unstable state, or treating our players as QA testers instead of customers,” said Popovich. If these good intentions are realized, hopefully it means a strong early access launch for Slime Rancher 2.
Source: nickpopovich/Reddit, Slime Rancher/Twitter