Update: Episode 2 is out today in Europe too. It's just the physical version that's coming out on Friday. Sorry for the confusion.

Surprise! Minecraft: Story Mode's second episode is out today, a mere two weeks after the first one. Considering that Telltale's episodic games are usually completed over a matter of months, that's quite some feat. The release of the second episode, 'Assembly Required', coincides with the US launch of the physical 'Season Pass' version, which obviously comprises only two episodes at the moment. Despite being on a disc. Which is very weird.

Obviously the rest of the world doesn't exist, so I can't tell you when folks outside of North America and Europe will be able to play Episode 2, but I presume you'll be able to at some point. Story Mode's first episode left Tyler Wilde cold, but perhaps you enjoyed it? In which case, you might want to give this Episode 2 trailer a watch.

And here's Telltale explaining what Assembly Required is all about:

"In the second chapter of our story, time is running out for our intrepid heroes. The Wither Storm looms ever closer, consuming everything in its wake. Depending on their decisions, Jesse and friends are off to explore either kingdoms of chaos or wondrous Redstone marvels in search of Magnus or Ellegaard, the remaining known members of The Order of the Stone. Can these legendary figures help our heroes stop the impending threat?

"Your path in ‘Assembly Required’ will differ greatly depending on your choices made in ‘The Order of the Stone’, so more than one playthrough is definitely recommended after your season concludes! Did you choose to save Gabriel or Petra amid the Wither Storm? Did you choose to seek the help of Magnus the Griefer or Ellegaard the Redstone Engineer? This is one of our most divergent episodes yet depending on the paths you’ve chosen – and many players will have completely different experiences depending on where they’ve decided to go!"