Obsidian Entertainment announced that Grounded has officially reached 10 million players, an incredible achievement considering the game is only in early access. The Xbox title’s Game Director Adam Brennecke spoke in a video titled “Grounded 10 Million Players Achievement Unlocked.” Check out his thankful message to gamers below.
Grounded originally launched for early access on Xbox One and PC in July 2020, becoming available still in early access for Xbox Series X/S on November 10, 2020. The game belongs to the survival genre where shrunken players must navigate the dangers of a backyard filled with menacing ants, spiders, and other creatures. Gamers can play in either first or third-person and must continue to consume food and water in order to avoid death from starvation or dehydration. The perilous backyard is filled with massive spiders, bees, dust mites, and ladybugs, each there to serve a different purpose. While players will want to avoid the blood-thirsty spiders, ladybugs can help guide gamers to food sources. Alternatively, aphids can be cooked and consumed. Grounded developers have even been thoughtful enough to add a setting in the game for those who suffer from arachnophobia. This option allows people to choose exactly how scary the spiders will appear in the game.
In the message from Brennecke, the Game Director revealed that “As part of celebrating this grand achievement that wouldn’t be possible without all of you, the team is putting Grounded up for a Steam free weekend! Running from February 10 at 10:00 AM PT through February 13 at 8:00 PM PT, new players can experience Grounded and check out the latest update, Into the Wood, through the free weekend.” Also, don’t forget that the survival game supports crossplay so Steam players can easily play with those accessing Grounded through Gamepass.
Grounded developers are currently hard at work preparing for the game’s 1.0 full release later this year. While no exact date for the full version of the game has been revealed, Obsidian Entertainment has promised a 2022 launch.