After a lengthy period of early access that has lasted over two years, Obsidian Entertainment's survival game Grounded is finally set to release next month. The game has proved to be a huge success during its early access period, attracting millions of players. To mark the two-year anniversary of the game's early access launch, director Adam Brennecke tweeted that Grounded's full release date would be September 27 for PC and Xbox.
Anyone who is familiar with Honey, I Shrunk The Kids, a popular Disney film released in 1989, will instantly recognize the premise for this game. While the game may not feature actor Rick Moranis, it does bear a striking resemblance to the movie. Waking up in the middle of a huge forest, the player quickly realizes they have shrunk down to the size of an ant. The player is tasked with surviving this experience by hunting for food and water while trying to avoid the various dangers that the backyard presents, including spiders, who act as the apex predators of the garden, and several other bugs. The full release of Grounded is set to be the game's biggest ever update and should come with a wealth of new content.
Grounded's Full Release Promises Big Updates
In a tweet from Obsidian, the team confirmed the full release update is on course to be Grounded's best update so far, set to be ''full of new surprises and mysteries.'' Exactly what is meant by that is difficult to ascertain, but the long-rumored backstory as to why the player finds themselves in the backyard and why they were shrunk in the first place is set to be revealed, as well as exactly how the player is expected to reverse the situation and escape the yard before returning to full size-if indeed that is the desired outcome.
Gamers have deliberated over the overarching plot for a while now, eager to find out what happened to cause the shrinking to begin with, so knowing that the game will feature a conclusion of sorts will be very satisfying for the many patient fans who have been playing the early access version, some for over two years. Indeed, the fact that Grounded is finally leaving early access will be welcome news for some who probably started to wonder if it would ever come.
As well as a story conclusion, update 1.0 will also feature several other major updates, including a new area of the map, titled the Upper Yard, a new Giant Mantis boss, and new weapon and armor recipes. Obsidian has constantly updated the game with new content during the early access period, and has gained a loyal player base, not only because of how much fun the game is, but also because of its devotion to constantly improving the experience using feedback and patches. It will be interesting to see if Obsidian now devotes more of its attention to the upcoming title Avowed, in order to make it one of the next titles to be released by the developer.
Not only is the full game release on the horizon, with a solid player base already built up, but it's also been confirmed that Grounded is getting its own TV show, helmed by Brent Friedman. Friedman has previously worked on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the popular animated series. Not many details about the show are known, but it should follow a similar plot to the game, with a group of young people being shrunk down to insect size and having to navigate the perils of a treacherous backyard. The future looks awfully bright for Obsidian's survival game, and now is a great time for new players to check it out, if they haven't already.
Grounded launches September 27 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.