Frostpunk 2 Chapter 2: Should you embrace or defeat the Frost?

Survival in Frostpunk 2 is challenging, but the choice you make about the Frost can help ease this process – if you make the right one.

After completing the Prologue and Chapter 1, Frostpunk 2 presents a tough decision: whether to embrace or defeat the Frost. While the consequences may not be immediately clear when you reach the “Ambitions” screen, this choice significantly influences how the gameplay and story will evolve in the following chapters.

If you’re unsure which path to take, you’ve come to the right place. This guide explores both options in detail and provides advice on which one might be best for you.

Should you defeat or embrace the Frost

Whether you defeat or embrace the Frost ultimately depends on your playstyle.

• If you prefer centralized control and technological advancement, defeating the Frost is your best bet.
• If you enjoy exploration and resource management through outposts, embracing the Frost offers a more flexible approach.

I’d recommend trying out both: one during your first playthrough and the other for your second playthrough. In my first run, I chose to defeat the Frost and found it a bit easier to get through. If anything in Frostpunk 2 can be described as easy – that is.

Defeat the Frost

Defeating the Frost is ideal for players who enjoy focusing on centralized urban management, upgrading technology, and ensuring the survival of New London through a well-oiled (pun intended) machine.

If you choose to defeat the Frost, you’ll align with the Stalwarts faction, those focused on progress and technological advancements. The goal here is to power New London’s generator using oil exclusively. This path emphasizes expanding oil production by utilizing the old Dreadnought and researching oil-focused upgrades.

One of the biggest advantages of this choice is unlocking Deep Melting Drills in the Research Institute, which can extract virtually unlimited food and materials from deep deposits. However, this oil-dependent route comes with risks. If oil production falters, your city’s fuel supply will be limited, potentially leading to disaster.

Embrace the Frost

While embracing the Frost offers more versatility, it’s not without drawbacks. This choice prevents you from extracting resources from certain deep deposits near New London, which can limit resource output in some areas.

On the other hand, embracing the Frost aligns with the Pilgrims faction – a group more adaptable to the harsh environment. Choosing this path allows your generator to use a mix of fuel sources: coal, oil, or steam. Such flexibility is key as you venture into the Frostland to establish and manage remote settlements connected to New London via Skyways.

These settlements provide unlimited resources, offering a different strategy for managing your city’s needs. Embracing the Frost also opens up research for settlement heating and other survival-focused technologies, making it perfect for players who enjoy exploration and managing multiple outposts.

That’s everything you need to know about whether you should embrace and defeat the Frost in Frostpunk 2. If you want more guidance on your choices, check out the best place to look for fuel and whether you should sacrifice the elders or the seals in the Prologue.