The Surge 2

The Surge 2

Developers
	Deck13 Interactive
Publishers
	Focus Home Interactive
Engines
	Fledge
Release dates
Windows	September 24, 2019
Reception
Metacritic	76
OpenCritic	77
IGDB	74
Taxonomy
Monetization	One-time game purchase, DLC
Microtransactions	Time-limited
Modes	Singleplayer
Pacing	Real-time
Perspectives	Third-person
Controls	Direct control
Genres	RPG, ARPG, Hack and slash
Art styles	Realistic
Themes	Cyberpunk
Series	The Surge

The Surge
The Surge	2017
The Surge 2	2019

General information

Official forums

Official subreddit

Official Discord for Deck13

GOG.com Community Discussions for game series

GOG.com Support Page

Steam Community Discussions

Availability

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Epic Games Store		Premium Edition also available.
GamersGate		Premium Edition also available.
		Premium Edition also available.
GOG.com		Premium Edition also available.
Green Man Gaming
Humble Store		Premium Edition also available.
Microsoft Store		Premium Edition also available
Steam		Premium Edition also available.
Origin (unavailable)

Denuvo Anti-Tamper DRM was used to protect the timed closed beta and was removed afterward.

Version differences

The Premium Edition includes the Season Pass.

Monetization

DLC and expansion packs

Name	Notes
Season Pass	Grants access to three DLCs in total, and a weapon "BORAX-I"
Public Enemy Weapon Pack	Included in the Season Pass
Jericho's Legacy Gear Pack	Included in the Season Pass
The Kraken Expansion	Included in the Season Pass
Future Shock Weapon Pack	Free
JCPD Gear Pack	Free
URBN Gear Pack	Pre-order bonus

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System	Location
Windows	%USERPROFILE%\Documents\The Surge 2\settings.ini %USERPROFILE%\Documents\The Surge 2\userbindings.json
Microsoft Store	%USERPROFILE%\Documents\The Surge 2\settings.ini %USERPROFILE%\Documents\The Surge 2\userbindings.json
Origin	%USERPROFILE%\Documents\The Surge 2\settings.ini %USERPROFILE%\Documents\The Surge 2\userbindings.json
Steam	%USERPROFILE%\Documents\The Surge 2\settings.ini <Steam-folder>\userdata\<user-id>\644830\remote\userbindings.json
Steam Play (Linux)	<Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/644830/pfx/

The Origin folder can also be used for the Steam copy by launching the game using the -disable_steam=true command line argument.

See Configuration parameters for the applicable parameters.

Save game data location

System	Location
Windows	%USERPROFILE%\Documents\The Surge 2\save\
Microsoft Store	%USERPROFILE%\Documents\The Surge 2\save\
Origin	%USERPROFILE%\Documents\The Surge 2\save\
Steam	<Steam-folder>\userdata\<user-id>\644830\remote\
Steam Play (Linux)	<Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/644830/pfx/

The Origin folder can also be used for the Steam copy by launching the game using the -disable_steam=true command line argument.

10 save slots are available.

Save game cloud syncing

System	Native	Notes
Epic Games Launcher
GOG Galaxy
Origin
OneDrive		Requires enabling backup of the Documents folder in OneDrive on all computers.
Steam Cloud
Xbox Cloud

Video

Display settings

Graphics settings

Graphics feature	State	Notes
Widescreen resolution
Multi-monitor
Ultra-widescreen		Hor+
4K Ultra HD		The game also features a resolution scaler.
Field of view (FOV)		30-80°, default 50°.
Windowed		Two separate resolution settings - Resolution is used when Fullscreen is enabled and Resolution (Windowed) when disabled.
Borderless fullscreen windowed		Uncheck Fullscreen and change Resolution (Windowed) to the desired resolution, then exit the settings to allow the changes to be applied.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Anti-aliasing (AA)		SMAA, TAA, as well as SSAA via resolution scaler.
Vertical sync (Vsync)		Off, On, Adaptive
60 FPS and 120+ FPS		FPS limiter with various predetermined values. See High frame rate. Engine caps out at 200 FPS.
High dynamic range display (HDR)

• 

  Default view at 16:9 aspect ratios

• 

  Default view at 21:9 aspect ratios

• 

  FOV at 30°

• 

  FOV at 47° (default-ish)

• 

  FOV at 80°

High frame rate

The in-game settings allow the FPS limiter to be set to 30, 50, 60, 75, 90, 120, 144, or 160 FPS.

By changing the settings file manually it is possible to achieve a custom FPS limit, or reach the 200 FPS cap of the engine.

Set a custom FPS limiter through the config file

Navigate to the configuration file(s). Open settings.ini in a text editor. Search for the max_frame_rate line. If it is found, set it to the desired custom value. Note that values above 200 will end up capping the game at 200 FPS. If it is not found, add the following line to the bottom of the file: max_frame_rate = # where # is the custom FPS limiter value, such as 200. Save and close the file. Changing the frame rate option through the in-game settings menu will overwrite the custom value.

Resolution scaler

Dynamic Resolution Mode adjusts the internal render resolution during play to keep the frame rate stable; down to 75% when using "Moderate" or 50% when using "Aggressive".

The in-game settings allow the resolution scaler to be set between 50% and up to 200% in increments of 1%.

By changing the settings file manually it is possible to set a higher or lower percentage.

Set a custom resolution scaler value through the config file

Navigate to the configuration file(s). Open settings.ini in a text editor. Search for the internal_renderbuffer_scale line. If it is found, set it to the desired custom value. If it is not found, add the following line to the bottom of the file: internal_renderbuffer_scale = # where # is the percentage in decimals, such as 0.100 for 10%, or 5.000 for 500%. Save and close the file. Changing the resolution scaler option through the in-game settings menu will overwrite the custom value.

Input

Gameplay/Camera settings

Keyboard bindings

Keyboard and mouse	State	Notes
Remapping
Mouse acceleration		Labeled Camera Smoothing
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion		Also includes X-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support
Full controller support
Controller remapping		Inventory and Menu cannot be rebound. Enable Southpaw to swap the Move/Camera actions bound to the analog sticks.
Controller sensitivity		Labeled Camera Smoothing
Controller Y-axis inversion		Also includes X-axis inversion

Controller types

XInput-compatible controllers
Xbox button prompts
Impulse Trigger vibration

DualShock 4 controllers
DualShock button prompts
Light bar support
Connection modes	V2, Wired, Wireless adapter V2 (Bluetooth) is not recognized.

Generic/other controllers

Additional information
Controller hotplugging
Haptic feedback
Simultaneous controller+KB/M		Button prompts and HUD constantly switch between input schemes.

Steam Input
Steam Input API support		Uses the Steam Controller as a regular controller.
Hook input (legacy mode)
Official controller preset(s)
Steam Controller button prompts

• 

  Xbox controller

• The Surge 2 bindings DualShock 4.png

  DualShock 4 controller

• 

  Steam Controller

Audio

Audio settings

Subtitles example

Audio feature	State	Notes
Separate volume controls		Speech, Effects, Music
Surround sound		7.1
Subtitles		Displayed on a background for better readability. Speaker names not displayed during audio logs. Some background conversations not subtitled.
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
Royalty free audio

Localizations

Language is changed through the properties of the game in the Steam library.

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Czech
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Polish
Brazilian Portuguese
Russian
Spanish

Network

Multiplayer types

Type	Native	Notes
Local play
LAN play
Online play		Online functionality limited to basic elements such as leaving graffiti or a holographic copy that other players can interact with.

Ports

Protocol	Port(s) and/or port range(s)
TCP	1338, 9264
UDP	1234

Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support status is not applicable for this game.

Issues fixed

PC technical FAQ

See the official PC Technical FAQ thread.

Render-related issues

Many minor render-related issues are fixed by restarting the game.

Restart the game.

Cannot spend Module Points

Some of the UI elements may be difficult to interpret, resulting in confusion regarding how module points are spent to upgrade the Health, Stamina, or Battery Efficiency attributes.

While using a keyboard and mouse:
Enter a Medbay. Move the cursor over on the desired attribute and click on the white triangle pointing right (increase) or left (decrease) to allocate the points as desired. Hold down ↵ Enter to Accept the changes.

While using a controller:
Enter a Medbay. Press the A (Xbox/Steam Controller) or X (DualShock 4) button to enter the Module Points menu. Highlight the desired attribute and use DPad Right (increase) or DPad Left (decrease) to allocate the points as desired. Hold down A (Xbox/Steam Controller) or X (DualShock 4) button to Accept the changes.

Stuck and unable to move

Occasionally the player might find themselves stuck on terrain without a way out.

Use the Search and Rescue drone. Note that this will spend all of the tech scrap on the player.

Enable the Cheat mode and use the "kill player" (Alt+F5 or L1+L2+L3+R1+R2+R3) command.

Other information

API

Technical specs	Supported	Notes
Vulkan

Executable	32-bit	64-bit	Notes
Windows

Middleware

	Middleware	Notes
Physics	PhysX
Audio	FMOD
Input	libScePad, SDL2, XInput
Cutscenes	FFmpeg	Used for playback of the WEBM files of the game.

Freecam mode

Only accessible when Cheat mode is enabled and accessed through the debug menu, Ctrl+⇧ Shift+F12 or Left Trigger+Right Trigger+Dpad Right in-game.

Cheat mode

Cheat mode is a mode where the player have access to the built in debug/cheating tools of the game, such as god mode, free cam, "kill player", etc.

Enable cheat mode:

Navigate to the configuration file(s). Open settings.ini in a text editor. Add cheats_enabled = true to the bottom of the file. Save and close the file. Launch the game. If the mode was applied correctly additional build information should be displayed at the bottom as well as the built-in FPS counter in the lower right corner should also be shown. Press Ctrl+⇧ Shift+F12 or Left Trigger+Right Trigger+Dpad Right in-game to open the debug menu. Notes A "kill player" command that can help if being stuck can be triggered by pressing Alt+F5 if using a keyboard or left and right Triggers+Bumpers+Analog Sticks simultaneously, or L1+L2+L3+R1+R2+R3 if using DualShock 4. Check <path-to-game>\media-next\input_binding_sets\DevDebugGameState.input_bindings.json and NextMain.input_bindings.json for more bindings available in this mode, such as Left Trigger+Right Trigger+Dpad Up to trigger god mode. A tip is to search for cheats to find the relevant bindings in the files.

Configuration parameters

Most of these settings are exposed through the in-game settings menu, but are also documented here for advanced users. They can be used inside of settings.ini to force a custom value.

The structure is parameter = value, where parameter is one of the listed below, with a value as either true/false, decimal, or through some form of predefined value (e.g. HelmetOnNever).

Removing a parameter from settings.ini will restore it to its default.

General

Parameter	Description
eula_accepted	Has the player accepted the EULA?
masterserver_auto_connect	Automatically play in online mode?
logging_enabled	Enable additional logging in Documents\The Surge 2\logs\Fledge.log. Default: false

UI / HUD

Parameter	Description
hud_scale	Size of the HUD, where 1.000 is 100%.
subtitles_enabled	Enable subtitles? Default: true
limb_names_enabled	Display body part names for a short amount of time upon targeting? Default: true
limb_hitlights_enabled	Highlight body part hit by attacks for a short ammount of time? Default: true
limb_highlighting_enabled	Highlight body part for a short amount of time upon targeting? Default: true
limb_targeting_ui_enabled	Display UI elements for the targeted body part? Default: true
always_show_player_status_ui	Always show player health, stamina and energy, and not only while in combat? Default: true
always_show_tech_scrap_ui	Always show the tech scrap, and not only while in combat? Default: true
display_ingame_text_combat	Should in-game damage numbers/combat text be enabled? Default: true
player_helmet_visibility_preset	When to show/hide the helmet of the player? Acceptable values: HelmetOnNever, HelmetOnCombatZones, HelmetOnAlways (default)
hints_enabled	Show contextual tutorial hints? Default: true
additional_tutorial_hints_enabled	Show additional tutorial hints in the game world? Default: true
auto_scale_hud_enabled	Will the HUD elements auto-scale for resolutions other than 1080p?

Camera

Parameter	Description
vertical_look_inverted	Invert vertical look (move down to look up) ? Default: false
horizontal_look_inverted	Invert horizontal look (e.g. move left to look right) ? Default: false
limb_target_synced_to_cam_horz	Should body part targetting be synced to horizontal_look_inverted ? Default: true
limb_target_synced_to_cam_vert	Should body part targetting be synced to vertical_look_inverted ? Default: true
cam_auto_adjust_pitch	Auto-adjust camera pitch during gameplay? Default: true
cam_auto_adjust_yaw	Auto-adjust camera yaw during gameplay? Default: true
cam_smoothing_enabled	Smooth camera camera rotation/movement automatically? Default: true
controller_sensitivity	Rotational speed of the camera (affects both mouse and controllers) in decimals, where 0.100 is 0% and 1.100 is 100%. Default: 0.600 (50%)
camera_bobbing_enabled	Enable camera bobbing for when a player walks? Default: false
auto_lock_on_enemies	Auto-lock unto the current enemy? Default: true
auto_switch_lock_on	Should lock-on switch automatically to the next target automatically when current one is defeated? Default: true
finishing_sequence_frequency	How often will the game feature 'finishing sequences'? Acceptable values: Off, Low, High, Always Default: High

Video

Parameter	Description
fullscreen	Enable fullscreen mode?
brightness	The brightness value, where -0.500is 0% and 0.500 is 100%. Default: 0.000 (50%)
gamecam_fov	Camera FOV. Default: 50.000 (50)
internal_renderbuffer_scale	Internal render resolution (see Resolution scaler) as percentages in decimals, where 0.100 is 10% and 5.000 is 500%. Default: 1.000 (100%)
dynamic_resolution_mode	Dynamic resolution mode, see Resolution scaler. Acceptable values: Off, Moderate, Aggressive
vsync_enabled	V-Sync mode. Acceptable values: Off, On, Adaptive
general_detail_level	General detail level. Acceptable values: Auto (default), Custom
streaming_quality_level	Texture quality/resolution. Acceptable values: Low, Medium, High, VeryHigh
shadows_quality_level	Shadow quality. Acceptable values: Low, Medium, High, VeryHigh
volumetrics_quality_level	Volumetric lighting quality. Acceptable values: Low, Medium, High, VeryHigh
screen_size_windowed	Size of the game when running in window mode (e.g. 1024x768).
screen_size_fullscreen	Size of the game when running in fullscreen mode (e.g. 1024x768).
antialiasing_mode	The anti-aliasing mode of the game. Acceptable values: Off, SMAA, TAA
ssao_enabled	Enable screen space ambient occlusion?
sss_enabled	Enable subsurface scattering?
bloom_intensity	Defines how strong the bloom effects should be, in decimals, where 0.000 is 0% (disabled) and 1.000 is 100% (fully enabled).
lens_flare_intensity	Defines how strong the lens flare effects should be, in decimals, where 0.000 is 0% (disabled) and 1.000 is 100% (fully enabled).
chroma_shift_intensity	Defines how strong the chroma shift effects should be, in decimals, where 0.000 is 0% (disabled) and 1.000 is 100% (fully enabled).
motion_blur_intensity	Defines how strong the motion blur effects should be, in decimals, where 0.000 is 0% (disabled) and 1.000 is 100% (fully enabled).
max_frame_rate	The in-game FPS limiter, see High frame rate.
display_fps	Display the built-in FPS counter (in the bottom right corner).

Input

Parameter	Description
img_set_selector_hint	Button prompts to use in-game. Acceptable values: 0x0 (auto/default), xboxone, ps4, steam
rumble_enabled	Enable/disable vibration effects when using a controller. Default: true
southpaw_enabled	Enable/disable southpaw behavior (switch left and the right stick). Default: false
jump_binding_behavior	Configure the behavior of the jump button. Acceptable values: Jump (default), SprintJump
evade_sprint_binding_behavior	Configure the behavior of the evade/sprint button. Acceptable values: Evade, EvadeSprint (default), EvadeSprintJump

Audio

Parameter	Description
master_volume	Sets the master volume, where 0.500 is 50%. Default: 1.000 (100%)
speech_volume	Sets the speech volume, where 0.500 is 50%. Default: 1.000 (100%)
effect_volume	Sets the effects volume, where 0.500 is 50%. Default: 1.000 (100%)
music_volume	Sets the music volume, where 0.500 is 50%. Default: 1.000 (100%)
subtitles_enabled	Enable/disable subtitles? Default: true

Other

These may not function properly in the release version of the game.

Parameter	Description
renderer_final_build_enabled	Is this a final/release build of the game? Disabling this enables the performance metrics OSD and the MicroProfile Capture profiler that can be accessed through http://localhost:1338 Default: true
cheats_enabled	Enable Cheat Mode? Default: false
skilling_enabled	Will spell skilling be available? (unknown usage) Default: false
game_mode	"Mode" of the game to run. Be careful when using this mode as it is untested and might result in data loss! Known working values: Default (default), Demo (Pre-E3 2018 demo), GCDemoPress

System requirements

Windows
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	7	8, 10
Processor (CPU)	AMD FX-8320 Intel i5-4690K	AMD FX-8370 Intel Core i7-3820
System memory (RAM)	8 GB	16 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	20 GB
Video card (GPU)	AMD Radeon R9 280 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 2 GB of VRAM DirectX 11 compatible	AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti 6 GB of VRAM

A 64-bit operating system is required.

Requires a graphics card compatible with Vulkan.

Requires an Internet connection for online features.

Notes