Amplitude has officially announced Humankind 2, the follow-up to its historical 4X strategy game. The sequel is slated for a 2027 release and was revealed during the Gamescom Opening Night Live pre-show. While the initial trailer focused heavily on mood, Amplitude shared that the game will offer "a new take on historical strategy" with "new progression systems, innovative features, enhanced visuals, a modernized UI, and gameplay improvements."
Key to the new gameplay loop is a culture system where players adopt distinct cultures each Era. These cultures expand and deepen a civilization's identity through unique customs and rich progression trees. The combination of these cultural influences aims to create highly personalized civilizations with consistency and continuity across different ages. Players will have the ability to follow historical paths or forge their own narrative.
Humankind 2 will introduce new historical stories and civilizations, including the Saqqaq, Etruscans, and Scythians, aiming for a more historically grounded world. A significant new mechanic highlighted is the impact of a changing climate. This will dynamically transform the strategic map across Eras, requiring players to adapt their cities and economies to shifting biomes, protect vital resources, and consider the long-term consequences of their actions.
Amplitude plans to continue its practice of developing alongside its community, similar to its approach with previous titles. This will involve an "Amplifiers program" for interested players to participate in feedback loops. The first Humankind game, released in 2017, was noted for its unique approach to historical strategy and evolved considerably post-launch. The developer hopes that the added climate change element and other refinements will elevate Humankind 2 to a new level.