Rejoice, Citizen Sleeper 2 is heading to Game Pass
The original game will be "sticking around" on the subscription service, too
After formally unveiling Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector during this year's notE3 season, solo developer Jump Over The Age have confirmed that it will also be launching day one on PC Game Pass (and the cloud) when it eventually comes out. Announced during today's Xbox Gamescom showcase, the original game will be "sticking around on the service" after the release of the sequel, too - which is very good news for my still-mid-DLC Game Pass save file. And if you're as pumped about Starward Vector as I am, Jump Over The Age have also given us a sneak peek at one of the locations we'll be visiting during our escape across its Starward Belt system. Come and get the low-down on Citizen Sleeper 2's Hexport in the trailer below.
At first glance, Hexport looks a bit like Erlin's Eye from the first game in miniature. As the trailer above explains (from 3.27 onward), this waystation has grown up on the back of three solar reflectors - handy, if you're the type who likes a good old fashioned moody space port with some natural, ambient lighting illuminating the void below. There's a space bar called The Bends where you can find additional crew members, and an exchange for buying and selling various goods.
There's also a place called Factory Row that's all ship-fitters and salvage yards, but Jump Over The Age warn you'll "need to get on the right side of [this community] if you want repairs". As a result, expect to perform additional tasks and errands with your returning dice-rolls before you can make use of their services.
Hexport isn't the only location you'll visit in Citizen Sleeper 2. As Jump Over The Age told me back in June, you have a ship that you'll be using to travel across the Starward Belt, and you'll be making port in all sorts of different space stations. Some will be single hub zones, while others will be as big as the first game's Eye, though Hexport looks like it falls somewhere in the middle, offering up a variety of places to get into trouble as you try and outrun the nefarious gang leader Laine.
Alas, there's still a fair old wait before Citizen Sleeper 2 comes out, but if you're in need of some more Sleeper-based sustenance, I can heartily recommend Jump Over The Age's free monthly Helion Dispatches newsletter, which is a series of text-based stories designed to fill in some of the wider goings-on in the Helion system between the two games. There have been three so far, and they're quick, easy reads that top up my Citizen Sleeper energy levels like one of its skewers of fried space mushrooms.
For more of the latest news and previews from Gamescom 2023, head to our Gamescom 2023 hub. You can also find everything announced at Opening Night Live right here.