Cities: Skylines 2 February Update: Recolor Tool, UI & Visual Overhaul
New year, new management. If you’ve been waiting for Cities: Skylines 2 to find its footing, 2026 might finally be the turning point.
Iceflake Studios has officially taken the wheel from Colossal Order, and they aren’t being shy about their first move. The new developers just dropped the details on their first major patch, arriving later this February. The focus? Making the game look like a modern city builder should.
Also learn more about the New Games releasing this Week!
Finally, You Can Paint the Town
One of the biggest complaints since launch was the visual monotony. Iceflake Studios is tackling this head-on with a feature inspired by the community modder yenyang.
The new update introduces a native Recolor Tool. You won’t be stuck with the default grey and beige anymore. You can now manually assign colors to buildings, props, and vehicles.
While it’s currently limited to individual assets, the studio confirmed they are working on a feature to paint entire districts. If you want a neon-pink cyberpunk district or a grim, dark industrial zone, you’re getting the tools to do it.
Iceflake has started their new series of Developer Diaries, City Corner!
— Cities: Skylines (@CitiesSkylines) January 29, 2026
The first installment is out now, and it's all about the visual updates that will be in the next Patch, read it here: https://t.co/w9Ar6ihTSK pic.twitter.com/PmQreVwEYf
Winter Won’t Look Weird Anymore
This is a subtle change, but for immersion, it’s massive. Previously, when winter hit your city, snow would cover the roads and roofs.
However, it often left “lots” (driveways, gardens, parking spots) looking magically green and pristine. Iceflake is fixing this texture mapping.
When it snows, it’s going to cover everything. No more perfect summer lawns in the middle of a blizzard. They are also tweaking the map climates—Boreal maps will see significantly heavier snowfall than Tropical ones, making your choice of location actually matter visually.
A Softer, Clearer Interface
The UI is getting a significant “Extreme Makeover.” The developers felt the previous interface was a bit too rigid and sometimes confusing.
The new patch brings a “rounder” aesthetic to the menus and toolbars. More importantly, they’ve reworked the demand bars—the lifeblood of the game—to be more readable.
They are also streamlining the onboarding process. If you’re a new player (or returning after a long break), the game won’t scream data at you quite as aggressively.
Lighting the Void
Another major grievance was the lighting, specifically at night. For many players, night mode was essentially “unplayable mode” because visibility dropped to zero.
The patch includes a rework of both day and night lighting. Nighttime visibility is boosted so you can actually build after sunset, and daytime skies are getting a texture update.
They’ve also linked fog density to weather systems, meaning storms will look moodier and clear days will actually look clear.
Verdict: A Good Start?
Iceflake is making a smart play here. By fixing the visuals first—specifically the snow and coloring—they are winning back the “painters” and creative builders.
It shows they are looking at what the community (and modders) actually want. The game isn’t fully “fixed” yet, but for the first time in a while, the future looks bright—and properly color-coded.
Which district in your city is getting a repaint first?
A video game enthusiast ever since I first got my hands on a Game Boy. Over the years, I've played many different games across various genres, discovering hidden gems and niche titles along the way. I'm also passionate about technology, always up-to-date with the latest news and insight in the PC and Console market. Ready to share and bring you the latest news !
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