When was Slime Rancher 2 released?

Slime Rancher 2 launched into Early Access on Steam and the Epic Game Store[store.epicgames.com] and in Game Preview on Xbox Series S/X[www.xbox.com] and Windows PC on September 22, 2022.Slime Rancher 2 also launched into early access* on PlayStation 5[store.playstation.com] on June 11, 2024.

Full release (version 1.0 and beyond) will launch at a later date.

*In this instance, PlayStation “Early Access” does not refer to the ability of playing the full release of the game early.

Which platforms does Slime Rancher 2 support?

Slime Rancher 2 is available on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5. No other platforms have been announced at this time.

What can I expect in the Early Access/Game Preview launch of Slime Rancher 2?

Slime Rancher 2 will launch into Early Access/Game Preview with a big world to explore, many different slimes to collect and combine, and an introduction to the game story and the mystery behind Rainbow Island. It's a substantial graphical leap over the original and all of the content currently available is in a highly-polished state. It should serve as a robust introduction to the new world we’re developing and a great jumping off point for the features we’ll be adding further into development.

However, launching into Early Access/Game Preview means that at launch, Slime Rancher 2 will be incomplete. It will not have all of the features, slimes, environments, items, story, etc. that will ultimately be found in the full game. We have taken great care to ensure that Slime Rancher 2 will always feel relatively whole and worth playing at any point in its development, but if you are someone who wants to play through a game all at once in a complete state, you can simply wait until the full game is released at a later date. We’ll be waiting for you!

And while launching into Early Access/Game Preview means that some features may be incomplete, or things may not work as intended, it is our intention that Slime Rancher 2 works as a player would expect as much as possible. We have no intention of delivering updates in a knowingly unstable state, or treating our players as QA testers instead of customers. Those that have experience with our Early Access/Game Preview development for Slime Rancher have seen this first hand, and we intend to do the same for Slime Rancher 2.

What are my goals in the Early Access/Game Preview release of Slime Rancher 2?

As you begin your adventure on Rainbow Island, though the world will be incomplete, there will still be plenty of things to see and do. Rainbow Island is an intricate place to explore, and discovering the best locations for resources, unlocking shortcuts and hidden paths, and learning where various slime types dwell will help your future adventures in Slime Rancher 2’s future updates.

How will I know when I’ve reached the ‘end’ of the game (for now)?

Even in the initial release, Slime Rancher 2 is designed to be played as long as you like. Eventually you will discover a point in the world where the game will obviously be expanded, but you are still free to continue to develop your Conservatory, build gadgets, and hunt down all the treasure pods.

And when Slime Rancher 2 is updated, it should be a seamless continuation of your experience: you’ll simply have more to see and do, building upon what is already there.

Will my save files carry over with each new update to Slime Rancher 2?

Yes, your save files will carry over throughout Early Access and into Full Release. Our goal is to make all content updates a seamless transition between your save file on a previous version to an updated version.

How often will you update Slime Rancher 2 with new content?

Multiple free updates will be released before Slime Rancher 2 leaves Early Access/Game Preview. However, there are no definitive dates in place for new updates. This affords our development team maximum time and flexibility to ensure new updates perform as best as possible.

What kind of updates are planned for Slime Rancher 2?

Updates for Slime Rancher 2 will broadly cover three areas to varying degrees: adding more of what you already love about Slime Rancher (new areas to explore, slimes to wrangle, resources to collect, and gadgets to build), completing the story of Slime Rancher 2 and learning more about the secrets of Rainbow Island, and finally, expanding the potential of Slime Rancher’s established gameplay by adding new features not yet seen in Slime Rancher.

What will be the retail price of Slime Rancher 2?

The base retail price of Slime Rancher 2 is $29.99.

Will the price of Slime Rancher 2 change after leaving Early Access/Game Preview?

No, the base retail price of Slime Rancher 2 will not change upon full release.

Are the PC system requirements for Slime Rancher 2 the same as Slime Rancher?

No, the PC system requirements for Slime Rancher 2 are higher than Slime Rancher. Slime Rancher was released in 2016 and we have made substantial improvements to the graphical fidelity of Slime Rancher 2 for its 2022 release and its content updates.

Minimum:
OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K / AMD FX-6300
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 2GB / AMD Radeon R9 280 3GB
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 8 GB available space


Recommended:
OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Intel i5-8400 / AMD Ryzen 5 1500X
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 / AMD RX 5700
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 8 GB available space

Do I need to play through Slime Rancher to enjoy Slime Rancher 2?

Slime Rancher 2 can be enjoyed without playing the original game. However, if you are familiar with how the NPC ranchers developed in the first game, you will appreciate their characters more in Slime Rancher 2. Additionally, certain aspects of Slime Rancher 2’s story, once completed, will be more meaningful if you have played through Slime Rancher to completion.

You are also significantly less likely to audibly gasp upon seeing the immeasurable cuteness of a tabby slime if you got that out of the way in Slime Rancher.

Are there notable missing features from the Early Access/Game Preview release of Slime Rancher 2 that were present in Slime Rancher?

Yes, as the initial Early Access/Game Preview release of Slime Rancher 2 is not yet the full experience, some features you may know from the original Slime Rancher will not yet be present.

Achievements will not be implemented until we are closer to full release. This is so that our achievements can cover the majority of the experience, not just the portion of the game we will release into Early Access/Game Preview.

Automation drones will also not be available at our initial launch, much like they were not in the original Slime Rancher. Drones will return in a future update and be refined for Slime Rancher 2, expanding on their potential.

And it bears repeating again that the game’s story will not yet be complete on initial release. You will see the beginnings of it in clues you discover in the environment and conversations with NPCs via the Comm Station, but its conclusion will be delivered on full release.

Does Slime Rancher 2 feel like the original game?

Yes, the initial release of Slime Rancher 2 aims to recreate much of what you loved about the original, in a new world with some nice improvements to the feel and formula. We’ve taken great pains to make it feel like Slime Rancher despite the significant improvement to our rendering, density of the world, UI, slime jigglyness, etc.

From there we aim to shake things up a bit: with future updates taking Beatrix places she’s never been with features we haven’t done before. But all the while our aim is to always make it feel like Slime Rancher. No matter where the adventure takes you, Slime Rancher 2 will always be a pretty comfy game that you can play at your own pace.

Will Slime Rancher 2 support multiplayer?

We are currently focusing on Slime Rancher 2 being a great single player experience and do not have any plans for multiplayer at this time. Slime Rancher’s physics also make multiplayer a very challenging proposition at the level of quality we expect at Monomi Park. However, anything is possible in the future and if our plans change we will be sure to let the community know.

How can I stay up to date on Slime Rancher 2’s development?

The best way to follow major developments for Slime Rancher 2 is to follow us on social media and sign up for the Monomi Park newsletter.[www.slimerancher.com]