SteamWorld Heist 2: Release date, trailer, more

The developers of the popular SteamWorld franchise are back with a sequel to SteamWorld Heist. Here’s what to know about SteamWorld Heist 2.

The genre-hopping SteamWorld franchise is growing with the reveal of SteamWorld Heist 2. A sequel to what started as a 2015 Nintendo 3DS exclusive, SteamWorld Heist 2 is bringing back the original’s turn-based tactics gameplay along with some fresh twists.

Here’s what you should know about SteamWorld Heist 2 ahead of its release later this year.

Contents

• Does SteamWorld Heist 2 have a release date?
• SteamWorld Heist 2 platforms
• SteamWorld Heist 2 trailer
• SteamWorld Heist 2 gameplay & story

Does SteamWorld Heist 2 have a release date?

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SteamWorld Heist 2 will be released on August 8, 2024, a date that was announced alongside the reveal.

SteamWorld Heist 2 platforms

While the game was announced during the April 17 Nintendo Indie World Showcase, SteamWorld Heist 2 will not be a platform exclusive.

SteamWorld Heist 2 will be available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam at launch. Additionally, the developers have announced it will be playable on Steam Deck.

This is especially good news for Xbox users, as the first SteamWorld Heist never came to that platform. While an Xbox port was planned, the developers put it on hold in 2016 citing other projects and the small size of the studio.

SteamWorld Heist 2 trailer

The latest SteamWorld Heist 2 trailer released on May 3, 2024 and provides a deep dive on gameplay. It focuses on gameplay elements including the new Jobs system and enemies. At the end, the devs also announce the next deep dive will discuss SteamWorld Heist 2’s characters and story.

SteamWorld Heist 2’s announcement trailer debuted during the Nintendo Indie World Showcase on April 17, 2024.

SteamWorld Heist 2 gameplay & story

Like its predecessor, SteamWorld Heist 2 is a turn-based tactics game. Rather than being a space adventure, though, this game takes place on the high seas. As the game’s Steam description says, players will “Join Captain Leeway and his ragtag crew as they uncover the enigmatic menace threatening the Great Sea.” Based on this, players should expect a pirate-themed adventure with naval combat and plenty of loot.

SteamWorld 2 Heist’s gameplay will be familiar to those who played the original. Once again, players will have to take on enemies in turn-based gun battles, which often require you to aim your weapon in creative ways so the bullets ricochet and hit rival robots.

New to the sequel is the Job system, which gives crewmates special abilities and additional options for customization and strategy. There are 6 classes:

• Brawler: Hammer-wielding melee fighter with thick armor and self healing abilities
• Boomer: Shoot explosives perfect for crowd control and can blow up utility items on the map
• Engineer: Utility characters that can heal, buff and debuff, create cover, set up combos, and shoot twice
• Sniper: Use laser-sighted weapons that show your bullet’s path to aim for distant or hard-to-reach foes
• Reaper: Glass cannons that can shoot again after taking out an enemy but can’t take many hits
• Flanker: Fast shotgun-users who are great at picking up loot

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Players can combine class abilities to improve builds, such as mixing Flanker and Brawler to create a character with both speed and resilience or combining Sniper and Boomer to add precision to your explosive strikes.

On the topic of customization, SteamWorld Heist 2 will be bringing back its predecessor’s focus on hats. Players will again be able to shoot off enemy hats to wear themselves, with other hats available to purchase. The trailer shows crews wearing matching top hats, fruit hats, and fish heads, indicating that there will be plenty of quirky options that allow SteamWorld Heist players to adventure in style.

The gameplay deep dive also showed off new enemies like the defensive Royal Navy and the bone-obsessed cult the Rattlers.

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