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Gamecity Hamburg
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The studio prioritized a deeper narrative experience while retaining the core combat mechanics that defined the original title.
Hamburg-based studio ROCKFISH Games marked the full release of its single-player space shooter EVERSPACE 2 on April 6, 2023, following five years of development and two years in Early Access. An interview with CEO Michael Schade, published by Gamecity Hamburg, reflects on the project's long journey and the lessons the studio took from it.
Schade explains that EVERSPACE 2 transformed the franchise from the linear roguelike of the original into a semi-open-world space-action RPG, which he describes as the game the team wanted to make initially but could not due to time and budget constraints. Roguelike elements survive in some endgame content as a nod to the predecessor. The studio funded the sequel through a second successful Kickstarter campaign. Schade says the team over-delivered on its 2019 vision despite a fairly small development staff, crediting a process of letting the team set priorities, breaking large work blocks into smaller chunks, discarding weak features, and treating major Early Access updates as miniature launches with continual iteration based on player feedback.
On community building, Schade advises regular and transparent communication, a dedicated community manager active across Steam, Discord, social media, and Twitch, and a philosophy of underpromising and overdelivering. He also recommends politely declining out-of-scope suggestions publicly and celebrating community achievements, citing the in-game photo tool and the player-created screenshots it enabled.
Post-launch plans include console releases for Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 in summer 2023, alongside a major free update with new loot, customization options, and possibly additional voiced languages. A first major expansion with new locations and story is already in concept. The PC release spans Steam, GOG, and the Microsoft Store, with PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and Steam Deck versions to follow.
Gamecity Hamburg · 2026
