The highly anticipated sequel to the surprise-hit survival RPG Outward is finally launching this July. Well, partially. Developer Nine Dots Studio has officially revealed that Outward 2 is coming to Early Access on July 7, 2026, with a Closed Beta starting on May 26.
Outward 2’s Hilarious Mr. Potato Trailer Reveals Early Access PC Specs
To celebrate the announcement, Nine Dots released a new gameplay trailer showing off the world of Aurai, combat, exploration, and, most importantly, the game’s true next-gen feature: running on a potato. Okay, not literally a potato. Probably.
The trailer highlights Outward 2 across a range of PC setups, from high-end gaming rigs to more modest machines that are still bravely clinging to life. In classic light-hearted fashion, Nine Dots also showcased the game running on a custom-built Mr. Potato-approved PC, featuring a Fryzen 5 CPU, 8 GB YAM, and PLU-4072 Graphics. It is a silly joke, but also a clever way to get across the real point: Outward 2 is being built with performance accessibility in mind, not just shiny max-settings screenshots.
Outward 2 Early Access PC Requirements:
Outward 2 Is Still an RPG About Surviving, Not Being Chosen
For players who never tried the original, Outward is not your typical fantasy RPG power trip. You are not a chosen one, a legendary hero, or some ancient prophecy’s favorite child. You are just a regular adventurer trying not to get eaten, robbed, frozen, poisoned, or financially ruined by your own poor planning. Outward 2 seems to be doubling down on that identity.
Speaking about the sequel, Nine Dots Studio CEO and Creative Director Guillaume Boucher-Vidal explained that the team wants Outward 2 to build on what worked in the original while improving four major areas: character creation and progression, storytelling, the world itself, and combat.
“Outward 2 is a natural successor to Outward, and we want to overdeliver on everything that worked right,” Boucher-Vidal said. “To give huge payoffs to exploration, and ask players to prepare and think about how they would actually react in the face of danger.”
That “prepare or suffer” philosophy is still at the heart of Outward 2. Players will explore Aurai, a harsh fantasy world where decisions matter and danger does not politely wait for you to finish looting. Dropping your backpack before combat can make you more mobile, scouting enemy paths can help you set traps, and bad choices can spiral into very real consequences.
Expanded Survival, Combat, and Co-op
Even death is not a simple restart button. Instead, defeat pushes your story forward, forcing you to recover, adapt, find your lost gear, and keep going. It is the kind of RPG that turns failure into part of the adventure, which is exactly what made the first Outward so memorable.
Outward 2 will also expand the survival RPG formula with three starting scenarios, eleven backgrounds, improved character progression, a full seasonal cycle across four distinct regions, ritual-based spellcasting, more fluid tactical combat, and a new Exercise system that develops passive skills based on how you actually play.
Inventory management is also returning as a major part of the experience. Your backpack is still your best friend and worst enemy, depending on how much junk you insist on carrying. This time, players can also earn a mule to help transport goods, though protecting it may become another tactical concern during long journeys.
And yes, co-op is back. Outward 2 will support both two-player split-screen and online co-op, letting players plan expeditions, cover each other’s weaknesses, and probably blame each other when everything goes horribly wrong.
Outward 2 enters PC Early Access on July 7, 2026, via Steam, the Epic Games Store, and GOG, while the Closed Beta begins on May 26. For fans of grounded RPG adventures, punishing exploration, and games that respect both your time and your terrible old PC, this is one to watch.
