Focus Home Interactive announces Cities XL 2012, saying the next installment in this urban-planning series will be released exclusively for Windows PCs in October of this year as a standalone game as well as an upgrade for Cities XL 2011 owners. Here are the first screenshots from the project, and the Cities XL Website reflects the news. Here's a snippet:

Cities XL 2012 allows players to become real urban planners, balancing economic & energy developments of their cities while managing transportation, housing, social services and recreational activities. Content is key to the new game, as Cities XL 2012 offers a staggering number of unique structures with over 1,000 in total.

The 60 huge 3D maps are entirely constructible and sport incredible detail. Cities XL 2012 offers more variety than any other city building-game. At the request of its fast-growing community, Cities XL 2012 is now open to modding and even features a special guide within the game to get players started. With these new tools, dedicated players can build and share their creations to their hearts’ content!