Knowing Sapphire is making a Radeon RX 7700 XT Frostpunk 2 Edition is one thing, but seeing it is another. I’m a pretty big fan of fancy new coats of paint, but the level of detail the manufacturer pays to developer 11 Bit Studios influence is, frankly, admirable.
I managed to get my hands on the upcoming graphics card on the show floor at Computex for a closer look. As you can see for yourself, the rusted erosion creeping through to the front gives it an industrial feel. It’s grimy, gritty, and exactly what you’d expect from something that pays homage to a game where you try to survive a deadly global volcanic winter.
While I see the logic of a pure white faceplate, it is expectedly the plainest part of the design. I feel it’d be a waste to prop the GPU up vertically given the rest of the intricate details. Sapphire saves it, though, with a dusty F, P, and number 2 on the fans, alongside bespoke indents.
The final part of the package is a set of W, A, S, and D keycaps, and gold pins you can’t get anywhere else. One is the game’s logo. Another is of a bearded explorer wearing headgear. The third is a shield featuring two keys sitting inside a cog. What they mean is anyone’s guess, and we’ll find out more context when the game finally releases. For collectors, these are a major highlight and something you’d be proud to display in a cabinet.
Sapphire plans to launch Radeon RX 7700 XT Frostpunk 2 Edition sometime in July. My money’s on July 25, which is when the game comes out. It’ll come bundled with a Steam code so you don’t need to purchase a separate copy. The best part is that it’ll only cost you $20 more than the original graphics card, so no more than $469.99. These will be limited, though, so don’t hang around for too long if you want one.
In the meantime, keep an eye on the rest of our Computex coverage. We have boots on the ground in Taipei looking at all the new motherboards, CPUs, and AI-powered laptops.