Citizen Sleeper 2 still has "around a year left of development"
But it's looking "bigger and more varied".
There's a bit of bad news if, like us, you were quietly hoping Citizen Sleeper 2 might just squeak out before the end of 2024; developer Jump Over The Age has confirmed there's still "around a year left of development" on its eagerly anticipated narrative sci-fi RPG sequel.
Jump Over The Age - AKA developer Gareth Damian Martin - announced they were working on a follow-up to the hugely well-received Citizen Sleeper back in June last year. Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, as the sequel is known, introduces a brand-new Sleeper android protagonist in a new setting where players will need to build themselves a life among the stars, piloting their own ramshackle stolen ship populated by a crew they've recruited themselves.
An update in August gave us a first look at a new location in Citizen Sleeper 2 - a bustling way station known as Hexport - as well as confirmation it'll be releasing for PC via both Game Pass and Steam. What we didn't get, though, was any hint of an ETA for Citizen Sleeper 2 - and that's where Jump Over The Age's latest update comes in.
Writing on Substack (thanks RPS), Martin shared a progress report on all things Citizen Sleeper, ranging from a new language update for the original game to a brief mention of its tabletop spin-off, Cycles of the Eye. Moving onto Citizen Sleeper 2, Martin wrote, "I know you've all been waiting for more info on the sequel, and while I can't give you that today, I can promise that by the end of this year you will be very familiar with what the sequel plans to offer."
Martin added that there's still "around a year left of development" on Citizen Sleeper 2, noting that it's "already...looking bigger and more varied" than its predecessor. "I'm really proud of what we've been able to do," they continued, "and I ask you to be patient for a little while longer, as we prepare for our big reveal, and a few small teases between now and then too..."
And for those who've been following along to Helion Dispatches - a narrative-focused episodic newsletter charting the events between Citizen Sleeper 1 and 2, which you can catch up on here - Martin noted that protagonist Cyrene "is going dark for a while...but she'll be back for the second half of the season sometime this Summer."