If you’ve played Cities Skylines 2, you likely know it doesn’t have a map editor. But, that’s not exactly true. Cities Skylines 2 does have a map editor, it’s just not available in the current version. However, you can still use it if you tweak the game’s files. Here’s how.
How to unlock the Cities Skylines 2 map editor on PC
Before we begin, a quick disclaimer. The reason why the map editor isn’t available yet is because it’s unstable. While it’s technically in the game’s files, developer Colossal Order purposely hid it so players wouldn’t use it until it’s ready.
The current map editor is highly unstable, it can crash the game quite easily, and you are generally advised not to use it until it is ready. The game also doesn’t have official mod support, but we have a guide on how to use unofficial mods. However, if you aren’t worried about this, then read on.
- First, ensure the game is installed and updated to the latest version.
- Navigate to the game’s files directory. On Steam, you can do this by right-clicking on the game’s name from your Steam Library, highlighting Manage, and selecting Browse Local Files. If you are playing the game using PC Game Pass, select the three dots from the launch menu, select Manage, click on Files’ and select Browse.
- Once you are inside the game’s folder, go to the following location Content / Cities2_Data / StreamingAssets / ~UI~ / GameUI/ .
- Here you should see three files named ‘index.’
- Right click on the bottom-most file named ‘index’ (the JavaScript file) and open it using NotePad
- You’ll open a document with a ton of seemingly random words.
- Press CTRL + F to open the search bar.
- Look for the word ‘LOAD_GAME,{})}),!c&&’.
- You should only find ONE instance like this in the entire code.
- Carefully select the ‘!c&&’ part of the ‘LOAD_GAME,{})}),!c&&’ and delete it.
- Save the changes by clicking on Fine and then Save in the top-right-corner of the window.
- Done.
- Fire up Cities Skylines 2, and you should see the Editor option from the main menu.
What can you do in the Map Editor in Cities Skylines 2
You can use the map editor in Cities Skylines 2 to create new and edit existing maps. You can place objects, create roads, terraform, and even create premade cities, which you can later send to your friend to challenge them.
Do be careful about how many objects you place while in this mode. As stated before, the map editor is still in development and is highly unstable. I was lucky to not get a single crash during my testing. However, if I started placing a lot of objects, I’m guessing my game would have crashed quite easily. I definitely noticed some lag and slowdown while using map editor.
So, there you have it. Have fun using the unlocked map editor, and try not to crash your game too often.
