Frostpunk has topped 5 million sales in six years

Chilling survival title Frostpunk has sold over 5 million copies in six years. That's according to developer 11 Bit Studios, which shared the news on Steam.

The studio said the milestone comprises sales across all platforms. It also divulged a number of playtime metrics, and revealed that on average people play Frostpunk for 24 hours.

Around 3 percent of players currently have over 100 hours of playtime on record, and the rarest achievement—an accolade called 'The City Must Survive' that can only be earned when all other settlements distrust you—has only been unlocked by 0.6 percent of Steam players.

Frostpunk launched on April 24, 2018, to critical acclaim and enjoyed years of support, with 11 Bit releasing a number of substantial add-ons and updates to deliver new features including a photo mode, the ability to name characters, and a new Endless Mode.

Frostpunk 2 on the horizon

The studio is now bracing for the launch of Frostpunk 2, which is expected to debut on July 25, 2024. It recently finished a week-long beta test on Steam that allowed players to return to the Frostlands and put the sequel through its paces.

11 Bit aims to expand the franchise with the follow-up by adding the ability to built entire districts, each with distinct purposes, when expanding cities. It'll also be possible to pass laws by erecting a council building and dabble in post-apocalyptic politics by working with (or against) different factions.

When fleshing out its bleak, bitterly cold futurescape, 11 Bit had to figure out how to commit to its brutal reality without descending into dark comedy. Back in 2018, we spoke with the studio's society designer Marta Fijak to learn how the dev team found the right balance to sell the notion of creeping authoritarianism.

If you're curious to hear how 11 Bit overcame that particular hurdle, be sure to check out the full interview.