Iceflake Studios’ first Cities: Skylines II patch, First Frost (1.5.4f1), arrived on February 18, 2026. It focused on simulation and quality-of-life fixes, including changes to how citizen deaths are calculated, alongside a redesigned HUD and visual adjustments. Paradox said existing saves would remain loadable and mods would be minimally affected.
Why Iceflake Studios took over development
On November 1, 2025, Colossal Order and Paradox announced that Iceflake Studios would lead development of Cities: Skylines II from the start of 2026. Iceflake’s announced responsibilities included free updates, continued work on the Editor and console versions, expansions, and content packs. Colossal Order said it would finish additional updates, including the Bike Patch, before handing over. Read the transition announcement.
Iceflake Studio Manager Lasse Liljedahl described the role as “an immense honor and a great responsibility,” and said the team had a decade of experience making city-building and management games. Those remarks were part of the announcement, rather than an independent assessment of the studio. Paradox’s announcement.
What First Frost changed
First Frost (version 1.5.4f1) released February 18, 2026. Its most consequential simulation changes addressed citizen deaths: the game now accounts for time of day when determining deaths and performs more death calculations per citizen per day, spreading deaths out over time. The patch also changed Easy Mode, where citizens can now die of old age. Paradox said about 80% of Easy Mode citizens previously never died of old age; that figure describes the game simulation, not real-world demographics. See the First Frost patch notes.
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Simulation and travel
- Death calculations now account for time of day and run more often per citizen each day, distributing deaths more evenly.
- Citizens can die of old age in Easy Mode.
- Bicycle trips were reduced by 80%.
Interface and onboarding
- The main HUD was redesigned to emphasize demand bars.
- Onboarding was updated.
- Players can choose legacy camera and UI options.
Visuals, building, and quality of life
- A toggle preserves tree age.
- Default terraforming presets are more precise, and objects placed along lines are spaced closer together.
- Lighting, fog, seasons, and water received adjustments.
- Autosaves are enabled by default.
The patch notes list one known issue: trees on newly placed or zoned buildings appear as saplings and do not age. Paradox also said old savegames remained loadable, mods would see minimal impact, and simulation changes would take effect over time in existing saves. First Frost notes and compatibility details.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What came after the first Iceflake patch
First Frost was the beginning of Iceflake’s release cycle, not the only update announced under the studio. A free anniversary patch followed on March 18, 2026, adding the Iceflake Arena signature building, improved toggle zoning, and bug fixes. Read the anniversary patch announcement.
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- Two explorers embark on research journeys to remote corners of the world: the Himalayan mountains, the Central American rainforest, the Egyptian desert, a mysterious volcano, and the bottom of the sea
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On September 15, 2026, Paradox announced Expansion Pass 2 and the Autumn Breeze patch, confirming continued releases under Iceflake. Expansion Pass 2 included paid digital content for PC. Read the Autumn Breeze and Expansion Pass 2 announcement.
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