The next chapter in Oxide Games’ RTS saga arrives with a bold shift in design philosophy. Ashes of the Singularity II retains the original’s signature scale—battles featuring thousands of units across sprawling maps—but strips away much of the high-APM micromanagement that once defined the genre. The result is a game that promises to feel more approachable to newcomers while still delivering the tactical depth that veterans crave.
At its core, the sequel introduces a third faction: the UEF (United Earth Forces), a human-led military force that contrasts sharply with the original’s Post-Human Coalition (PHC) and Substrate. This isn’t just a cosmetic addition—the UEF’s infantry-heavy, swarm-based playstyle forces a fundamental rethink of how the game’s AI operates. Unlike the original, where AI-controlled factions relied on hovercraft and flying units, the UEF grounds combat in bipedal infantry and wheeled/tracked vehicles, creating a more dynamic and visually distinct experience.
The technical backbone of the game has also undergone a complete overhaul. Built on an evolved version of the Nitrous Engine—first introduced in Ara: History Untold—the sequel supports thousands of units on-screen simultaneously, with battles scaling to eight-player multiplayer matches where each side controls 200–300 units. Yet, unlike its predecessor, the game prioritizes accessibility. A revamped army system automates reinforcements and group management, reducing the APM (actions per minute) floor while preserving the ceiling for players who still want granular control.
A Benchmark No More—But Still Demanding
While the original Ashes became a de facto benchmark for DirectX 12 performance, the sequel takes a different approach. Oxide Games has rejected ray tracing—not due to technical limitations, but because the computational cost of tracing shadows and reflections across thousands of moving units outweighed the visual payoff. Instead, the team has focused on optimizing DirectX 12 features like bindless textures and enhanced 16-bit float support, which improve performance without the need for cutting-edge hardware.
The game will officially support Steam Deck, with hardware scalability options that let players dial back resolution and effects to ensure smooth gameplay. System requirements remain fluid, but the team expects optimizations in the coming months to lower the bar even further. For high-end PCs, the game will still push hardware—supporting 4K resolution and high-end graphics settings—but the emphasis is on ensuring it runs well on everything from modern GPUs down to older cards like the RX 580.
Three Factions, One Battlefield
The UEF isn’t the only faction to see a major overhaul. The PHC (Post-Human Coalition), now fractured by the events of the original game’s ending, fields a mix of bipedal mechs and drones, eschewing the swarm tactics of the UEF in favor of high-end, expensive units. Their Hyperion, a flying dreadnought, returns as a dominant force, while the Substrate—the third faction, still in development—will debut post-Steam Next Fest.
The AI has been rebuilt from the ground up to handle all three factions, with difficulty scaling that adapts to player skill. Beginners can start with lenient settings, while veterans face asymmetric matches or AI with economic advantages. Early tests show the AI holding its own against human players, though keyboard-and-mouse users retain a tactical edge for micromanagement.
Gamepad-First, Modding in the Works
Controller support is a cornerstone of the sequel’s design. Oxide Games has extensively tested the game on Steam Deck, ensuring core strategic functions remain accessible without a keyboard. While keyboard-and-mouse users can still out-APM a controller player in tactical scenarios, the team argues that strategic depth—managing warfronts, positioning, and timing—is where skill truly matters.
Modding remains a priority, though no formal Steam Workshop support has been announced. The Nitrous Engine’s architecture exposes data through Lua and XML, making custom content creation feasible. Whether Oxide Games will open the doors to community mods post-launch remains to be seen, but the foundation is already in place.
A demo featuring the UEF and PHC factions, along with three maps and 8-player multiplayer, is available now as part of Steam Next Fest. The full game is expected to launch later this year, with the Substrate faction arriving as a post-launch addition.
