Following in the footsteps of its critically acclaimed predecessor, Sins Of A Solar Empire II will seamlessly blend real-time strategy and 4X gameplay to deliver a grand space conflict equal parts immersive and intense, while introducing a whole new level of detail and raising the bar on what it means to become the ruler of a vast space empire.

Sins Of A Solar Empire II will once again explore the tragic war between the desperate Vasari, emergent TEC, and vengeful Advent as their struggle leaves them exposed to much greater threats. Each race will further distinguish their play styles with unique game mechanics, new and reimagined units, extensive research trees, and refined sub-factions. You take the role of leader of one of the game’s factions in order to build a stellar empire using force, trade, alliances, subterfuge and more.

Players will need to evaluate real-time celestial mechanics, observing the orbits of planets and moons while expanding their empires and maneuvering fleets. Meanwhile, savvy battle commanders must leverage ship positioning and point defense turret tracking speeds to intercept swarms of enemy missiles. At every level, Sins Of A Solar Empire II is packed with new features, mechanics, and customization that open up a host of new strategies and tactics.

Stardock and Ironclad Games released a new update to the Sins Of A Solar Empire II Technical Preview (Epic Games Store), adding the anticipated multiplayer feature, new ship models, an updated UI for the Research Tree, and improved textures for capital ships along with other additions.

The introduction of multiplayer is a core stage in Sins of a Solar Empire II’s development and, as such, Stardock and Ironclad are eager to get feedback from players as they continuously improve upon it. This multiplayer experience is merely the tip of the iceberg, but eager Sins players can get a solid feel for what the new engine brings to the table.

For instance, players can now jump into an existing multiplayer game and take the reins from an AI empire or a friend who has to leave. This gives players a lot of flexibility, especially as competitive matches get longer and longer. Additionally, players can set up private games and invite friends (or enemies) via game codes.

"We want to thank everyone who has been playing the Technical Preview and providing feedback, but we’ve heard you all loud and clear: You want multiplayer. Everyone has been waiting for the chance to wage war against each other, and now they can,” said Brian Clair, Director of Publishing for Stardock. “Giving players the option to jump in to take over an AI empire is such a fantastic addition. Internally, we’ve had colleagues jump into ongoing matches and completely annihilate people who thought they had a sure victory. We can’t wait to see how our community takes to this feature and it's only the beginning!”

While not final, many ships have received visual upgrades and new models have replaced the TEC Ogrov Torpedo Cruiser, Pirate Rogue, Corsair, and Pillager ships. Pirate Hideouts also have a new model in this update. For a complete list of changes, please visit the forums.

Starting on your homeworld, you begin by exploring your local system. Each area in the game is pre-populated, however, so to expand you will need to use force of arms. To do this, you’ll construct capital ships, cruisers, frigates and strike craft to take over the planets around you. With each world, you can increase your empire’s capabilities and specialize your planets. You’ll also build research stations to learn new technologies and to unlock new ships. Eventually you’ll encounter another major player and it’s at this juncture you must decide if you want to try and be friends or not.

Sins Of A Solar Empire II demands a galaxy filled with thousands of units - from individual missiles to colossal titans - all while maintaining high fidelity visuals and smooth frame rates. Powering this is a new, custom 64-bit multicore engine called Iron Engine 3. This bespoke engine will also go a long way to addressing long-standing player requests like seamlessly rejoining multiplayer games and improved modding.

Sins Of A Solar Empire II is in development for PC (Epic Games Store), currently scheduled for 2023/2024 for $49.99.