All good dystopian stories need some kind of inciting incident, a pivotal moment that changes the course of history forever and ultimately leads to the creation of a grim dystopia. 1984 has its Third World War that results in nuclear destruction, Children of Men has its mass infertility, and The Hunger Games has its own wars and ecological issues that lead its world to become the one readers/viewers see. Being a dystopian city-builder, Frostpunk 2 has a similar inciting incident.
In Frostpunk 2, players assume the role of the leader of a colony of one of the last remnants of humankind, with the world having been engulfed by a new ice age several decades earlier. This new ice age began with an event known as the Great Frost, and while information on the pivotal inciting incident is scarce, there are some key details that fans of Frostpunk should know.
The Lore Behind Frostpunk 2’s Great Frost Explained
The Origins of The Great Frost
According to Frostpunk‘s in-game documents and information that can be spotted on some loading screens, the Great Frost began in the summer of 1886. The first signs of the Great Frost were bizarre weather patterns spotted by scientists across the globe, such as non-stop rainstorms in the Sahara desert and extreme snowstorms in northern regions. Meteorologists also began noticing a continuous drop in temperatures around the world.
Many nations believed the cause of this weather phenomenon would be found in the north, so they sent research parties to the Arctic and other regions to collect data. Back home, the cold started to take effect on crops, and with no food, starvation started to set in. After a few months of starvation and with no end in sight for the increasingly cold weather, millions around the world began to travel south in the hopes of finding warmer conditions. But no haven was to be found.
As refugees arrived in southern countries, anarchy erupted in the streets, with millions willing to fight for their survival and many governments finding themselves unable to calm the riots. This anarchy quickly spread across the entire planet, and the desperate fight for survival led to a sudden scarcity of vital resources.
It’s believed that
Frostpunk
‘s Great Frost occurred due to sudden volcanic eruptions, though that hasn’t been definitively confirmed.
The British Empire’s Desperate Attempt to Survive The Great Frost
As the world descended into complete chaos, the British Empire attempted to preserve its population by sending a fleet of ships containing refugees to its colonies in Australia, India, Africa, and South America. At the same time, the British Empire began constructing heavy vehicles capable of digging into deep snow and ice, known as Frostbreakers, as well as gigantic amphibious ships known as Land Dreadnoughts.
These Land Dreadnoughts came equipped with state-of-the-art heat-producing generators, designed to provide warmth and power to entire cities in even the harshest of conditions. As the Land Dreadnoughts set off in search of warmer pastures, an ice storm on an unprecedented scale swept the globe, decimating most forms of technology and civilization.
What Remains of The World After The Great Frost
In the wake of the Great Frost, Earth has essentially become one gigantic ice plain. This snow and ice-covered vastness is simply referred to as the Frostlands, and while it’s unclear just how many survived the initial anarchy, ice storm, and extreme cold, it’s presumed that humanity is on its last legs. The only people alive are those who have found working Heat Generator Towers, such as the one that Frostpunk 2‘s New London has built itself around.
