Grounded 2 has launched its first major update, The Toxic Tangle, introducing a corrupted Garden biome and a rideable Ladybug Buggy mount. The update expands exploration in Brookhollow Park with new enemies, gear, and building options. Obsidian Entertainment also unveiled an early access roadmap outlining future content through 2026.
Grounded 2 entered early access in 2025, and on January 28, 2026, developer Obsidian Entertainment released The Toxic Tangle, its first significant content expansion. This update adds a sprawling Garden biome to Brookhollow Park, where a corruption called Tang spreads through soil, water, and wildlife, creating overgrown environments with vines, towering structures, pumpkin patches, and carrot jungles. Players must navigate vertical climbing routes, hidden crawlspaces, and environmental hazards while gathering resources and engaging in strategic combat against new threats like coordinated Earwigs, armored Potato Beetles, and the Woolly Aphid. Familiar challenges return, including encounters with the Masked Stranger and the looming Snake Colossus, blending survival elements with cooperative play for solo or group experiences. The biome emphasizes exploration, rewarding players who deviate from main paths to uncover secrets and adapt to unpredictable enemy behaviors. A key addition is the Ladybug Buggy, a heavy-duty, tank-style mount equipped with a water cannon to remove Tang corruption or repel foes, a ramming charge for close combat, and health regeneration. This enhances mobility across the terrain, allowing players to traverse and fight efficiently in the new landscape. Gameplay systems see refinements: the mutation system now divides abilities into active and passive types, with passives applying automatically based on weapon loadouts to streamline combat without excessive menu navigation. New gear includes weapons, armor sets, trinkets, and tools for customized playstyles. Building options expand with the Pumpkin Set, refreshed Mushroom Kit, floor hatches, scale roof sets, updated stairs, and improved snapping mechanics for more flexible base designs. Wave challenges like MIX.R and O.R.C. test combat and defense, while the Founder's Pack gains decorative items such as the High Roller’s Dice Bag and Champion’s Banner. Shyla Schofield, Senior Communications Manager for Xbox Game Studios, described the update as 'a significant expansion of the park’s exploration opportunities, combining new challenges with updated gameplay mechanics to engage both solo players and those in cooperative groups.' Alongside the update, Obsidian shared an early access roadmap featuring a Playgrounds Update in February's Public Test Beta—reviving the original game's mode for custom mini-games, arenas, and challenges—followed by Spring and Summer updates, with more plans before exiting early access in late 2026 or beyond. The update is available now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud Gaming, Steam early access, and via Xbox Game Pass. Eurogamer's review of the early access version noted: 'The ant-sized thrills of Grounded return in a sequel which lays exciting foundations for the future. There's work to do but, already, an exciting adventure to have.' Like its predecessor, which spent over two years in early access from July 2020 to September 2022, Grounded 2 is expected to remain an Xbox console exclusive during this phase before potentially launching on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch at version 1.0.
