Cities: Skylines 2 Misery from the suburbs mods garbage
Screenshot by Destructoid

Are Cities: Skylines mods compatible with Cities: Skylines 2

Got bad news for you, chum.

These days, when a sequel to a simulator comes out, itā€™s almost invariably lacking options compared to whatever came before it. With the advent of DLC (and even before that with expansions), simulators often stand as a platform for more content. So, for retentionā€™s sake, do the existing City: Skylines mods work in Cities: Skylines 2.

Recommended Videos

No, and I think that would be a rather strange expectation.

On one hand, itā€™s true that both games are built in the Unity engine, but that doesnā€™t really mean much. All the systems underlying the game have been reworked, so any reference a mod makes to existing facets would simply break. Unless a game is simply retitling itself for a big update, mods transitioning to a sequel doesnā€™t really happen.

On the other hand, modders who created assets for the original Cities: Skylines will be able to reuse their old models in the new editor because theyā€™re made separately from the game before being imported. That might make for quicker porting of older mods, but itā€™s still a manual process.

Furthermore, modifications arenā€™t even officially supported by Cities: Skylines 2 yet. When the feature is available, it will be using a system called Paradox Mods, rather than going through Steam Workshop or Nexus (though, realistically, external Nexus mods will still happen). The purpose of Paradox Mods is to allow alterations made on PC to carry over to the future console versions of the game, enabling cross-platform.

So, to reiterate; no. Cities: Skylines mods will not work in Cities: Skylines 2.


Destructoid is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission.Ā Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Zoey Handley
Zoey Handley
Staff Writer
Staff Writer - Zoey is a gaming gadabout. She got her start blogging with the community in 2018 and hit the front page soon after. Normally found exploring indie experiments and retro libraries, she does her best to remain chronically uncool.