Hold onto your grass blades, because Obsidian just dropped the most requested feature from the original Grounded, and it’s exactly as ridiculous as you’d hope. When Grounded 2 hits early access on July 29, you’ll be able to ride ants into battle. Yes, you read that correctly. Rideable. Ants.
The sequel to 2022’s surprise hit survival game is taking everything that worked about being shrunk in a backyard and cranking it up to 11. But this time, you’re not alone in navigating the macro world – you’ve got six-legged friends to help you get around.
From Backyard to Big City Park
First things first: we’re not in the backyard anymore. Grounded 2 takes place in Brookhollow Park, a massive public space that makes the original game’s setting look like a sandbox. The starting area alone is nearly the size of the entire first game, and that’s just what they’re showing in early access.
The teens from the first game are back, now two years older and apparently no better at avoiding shrinking incidents. The 1990s setting remains, but the park environment opens up entirely new survival challenges. Think snack stands, toppled ice cream carts, and forgotten picnic areas – all massive obstacles when you’re the size of an ant.
Obsidian partnered with Eidos-Montréal for this one, and you can feel the additional resources. Everything is bigger, more detailed, and more alive. The grass sways more naturally, the insects have more complex behaviors, and the world feels less like a game level and more like an actual ecosystem you’ve stumbled into.
The Bug That Launched a Thousand Ships
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Or rather, the ant you can ride like an elephant. “Buggies” are Grounded 2’s answer to years of community requests for mounts, and they’re not just transportation – they’re full-fledged companions with unique abilities.
So far, two Buggy types have been confirmed: Fire Ants and Orb-weaver Spiders. Fire Ants can call for Worker Ant reinforcements in battle, essentially giving you your own tiny army. Orb-weavers can roar (somehow?) to stun enemies, because apparently spiders roar now and nobody told me.
Reddit is absolutely losing its mind over this feature. “I’ve waited three years to ride an ant and I would wait three more,” wrote one user. Another simply posted a picture of an ant with a saddle poorly photoshopped on, which somehow got 10,000 upvotes.
But it’s not just about transportation. Each Buggy has its own personality, can be customized, and levels up as you use them. It’s like Pokémon meets Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and honestly, that’s a combination I didn’t know I needed.
Quality of Life: The Omni-Tool Revolution
One of the biggest complaints about the original Grounded was inventory management. Carrying separate tools for every task meant your backpack was constantly full of hammers, axes, and shovels instead of resources. Enter the Omni-Tool: one device that combines all basic tools.
This might sound like a small change, but for survival game veterans, it’s huge. More inventory space means longer expeditions, more ambitious building projects, and less time spent running back to base because you forgot your shovel. Again.
The community response has been overwhelmingly positive. “This is the kind of sequel thinking we need,” posted one Reddit user. “Not just ‘more stuff’ but ‘better stuff.’”
Early Access Done Different
Obsidian is taking a different approach to early access this time around. Instead of the monthly micro-updates that characterized Grounded 1’s development, they’re planning larger updates every 4-5 months. Game director Chris Parker explained that the monthly schedule “didn’t make the community happy and it didn’t make the team happy.”
This slower pace should allow for more substantial additions – entire new biomes, creature types, and story chapters rather than incremental tweaks. A public roadmap will keep players informed about what’s coming, shaped by community feedback.
The early access launch will include “enough story to start uncovering mysteries,” according to the developers. It’s not the full narrative, but there’s enough meat to sink your mandibles into.
The Co-op Factor
Like its predecessor, Grounded 2 supports up to four players in co-op, and the game is clearly designed with group play in mind. The new “archetypes” system lets players specialize in different roles – precision, cunning, or strength-based approaches to problems.
But here’s the killer feature: shared world saves that persist between sessions. Your friend can hop on while you’re at work, build part of the base, gather resources, and you’ll see all their progress when you log back in. No dedicated servers required. It’s the kind of player-friendly feature that makes you wonder why every survival game doesn’t do this.
The Price of Being Small
Grounded 2 launches at $29.99 for the standard edition, with a Founder’s Edition at $39.99 that includes cosmetic skins, emotes, and a digital artbook. Game Pass subscribers get the standard edition on day one, continuing Microsoft’s strategy of making their first-party titles immediate value propositions.
For those worried about accessibility, Obsidian is including the same features that made the original game approachable: Arachnophobia Safe Mode (critical for a game full of spiders), colorblind options, subtitle customization, and difficulty settings. They’re even launching with seven languages on day one.
Community Reactions: Cautious Optimism
The gaming subreddits are buzzing with anticipation, but it’s not all blind hype. Many players are concerned about launching into early access so soon after announcement. “Feels rushed,” worried one commenter. “I hope they learned from Grounded 1’s early access issues.”
Others are more optimistic. The original Grounded’s early access was generally considered a success story, with the game evolving significantly based on player feedback. “Obsidian knows how to do early access right,” argued another user. “Look how different Grounded was at 1.0 compared to launch.”
The bug-riding announcement has created its own subculture already. Fan art of ants wearing racing stripes, spiders with saddles, and detailed speculation about future Buggy types fills the Grounded subreddit. Someone’s already planning a “Buggy Racing League” for when the game launches.
The Bottom Line
Grounded 2 looks like the rare sequel that actually listened to its community. Rideable bugs? Check. Inventory improvements? Check. Bigger world? Check. Maintaining the charm and challenge that made the original special? We’ll find out July 29.
Early access is always a gamble, but Obsidian has earned some trust. The original Grounded exceeded expectations, turning what could have been a gimmicky survival game into something special. With Grounded 2, they’re not just making it bigger – they’re making it better in ways that matter.
Plus, you can ride ants. I cannot stress enough how cool it is that you can ride ants.
Whether you’re a survival game veteran or someone who just thinks being tiny would be neat, Grounded 2’s early access launch is worth keeping on your radar. At $30 (or free with Game Pass), it’s priced to let players take the plunge without feeling like they’re betting the farm.
Just remember: in Brookhollow Park, you’re not at the top of the food chain. You’re barely a snack. But at least now you’ll be a snack with a mount.
Sources:
- Xbox Wire: Grounded 2 Announcement
- GamesRadar: Developer Interview
- Steam Store Page
- Reddit Gaming Communities
