Grounded 2 is about to get a lot more crowded. Obsidian has fully revealed Rot and Ruin, the next free update for its shrunk-down survival sequel, and it brings a new adventure area called the Woodpile, a returning termite colony, a long-requested Centipede boss, a second combat-ready Buggy and a way to finally paint your base. The update is set for this fall on every version of the game. Obsidian hasn't given a date yet, but a public test build has been live on Steam since early October, so the content is well along.
The Woodpile and the termites who live there
The headline addition is the Woodpile, a new adventure area in Brookhollow Park built from stacked logs, hollow tunnels and narrow ledges. It is the kind of vertical, maze-like space Grounded does best: you look up at bark the size of a cliff face and work out how to get inside it.
Termites have moved in. Fans of the first game will recognise the colony, and the update brings back Workers, Soldiers and the Termite King, plus new variants from O.G.R.R., the mutated creature line that runs through Grounded 2. Obsidian is hinting that these are not quite the termites players remember, teasing new attacks and what it calls particularly strange behaviour deeper into their territory. The test build also lists a Termite Queen among the family, so expect the nest to be layered.
The Centipede finally arrives
The biggest threat in the Woodpile isn't a termite. Rot and Ruin adds the Centipede as a new boss, a creature the community has been asking for since the first game. Obsidian's pitch is short: plenty of legs, and even more reasons to run.
As with other Grounded bosses, beating it feeds the crafting loop. The public test notes list a new mutation and a new trinket tied to the fight, a Centipede staff weapon, a full Centipede armor set and a run of Centipede-themed furniture, including a cauldron, candle, apothecary, a stuffed trophy and a wall mount. Test builds can change before release, but that list gives a good sense of how much is hanging off this one fight.
Saddle up on the Potato Beetle
Buggies, the rideable insects that set Grounded 2 apart from the original, get a new member. The Potato Beetle Buggy is bigger than the Ladybug and built for close quarters. Its main attack fires a spread of projectiles at whatever is in front of it, which the test notes describe as a shotgun-style turret, and it has a charged shot for clearing groups.
It isn't only a fighter. A Healing Roar helps keep you alive mid-fight, and like the other utility Buggies it can haul resources and contribute materials straight into blueprints while you build. The developers also have a grim fix for running dry: in the test build, you can top up its ammo by pulverising the bodies of things you have already beaten.
Painting with the Splotcher
Base builders get a long-awaited option. Rot and Ruin adds painting: you craft paint and then apply it with a new paintball gun Obsidian calls the Splotcher. Walls, floors, roofs, stairs, doors and other structures can all take a fresh coat. The test build offers six colours to start with.
Taking gear further with Bismuth
Progression gets a new layer too. Weapons and armor can now be upgraded to higher Tiers using Bismuth, a new resource that Obsidian ties to the Raw Science running beneath the park. You gather it, refine it and use a new station called the Yoking Press to push your favourite equipment further, so a set you like doesn't have to be thrown away when stronger gear comes along.
The test build places Bismuth in the Abyss, the area added in an earlier update, alongside some quality-of-life changes there: new diggable chests, geysers that now give off warmth, and better navigation. It also adds a Perfect Dodge. Time it right and you take no damage and spend no stamina, which leaves you free to hit back straight away.
Collectibles and the rest
The rest of the update fills out Brookhollow Park with things to find. There are new SCA.B themes to collect: the test build has eight colour schemes for the wrist-mounted companion. There are also collectible figurines, five in the test build, that you can turn into statues in your base. New stations and craftables round it out.
Platforms and what comes next
Grounded 2 is still in Game Preview on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox on PC, where it is included with Game Pass. It is also in Early Access on Steam and available on PS5. Rot and Ruin will reach all of those versions as a free update this fall. Players who want to try it now can join the public test build on Steam, with the usual warning that test progress may not carry over.
The bigger milestone is further out. Obsidian says version 1.0 of Grounded 2 is coming in 2027, and Rot and Ruin is another sizeable step toward it. For anyone who drifted away after the Abyss update, a new area, a new boss and a new Buggy make a good reason to shrink down again.
