Development on Cities: Skylines 2 is changing hands after publisher Paradox Interactive and developer Colossal Order have "mutually decided to pursue independent paths."
In a forum post, Paradox announced Cities: Skylines' development would be moving to one of its internal studios, Iceflake. The studio will take over "all existing and future" development updates for Cities: Skylines 2 and continue development on the game's long-delayed console versions.
As for Colossal Order, the studio will deliver a few more updates before Iceflake fully takes over. Those will include a major update that will add bikes, Old Town buildings, and other improvements. A beta version of the game's editor with mod-asset support will also arrive before the end of the year. Iceflake will then take over the franchise at the start of 2026.
In the forum post, Colossal Order Mariina Hallikainen said the studio never could have imagined Cities: Skylines would become a franchise played by millions.
"We're confident the franchise will continue to thrive under Paradox's leadership," Hallikainen said. "As we move forward, we're excited to channel our experience, creativity, and passion into new projects that align with our long-term vision."
Iceflake will be sharing its own plans for Cities: Skylines 2 development in the coming weeks, and is working with Colossal Order to ensure a smooth transition, according to the forum post. Iceflake Studio manager Lasse Liljedahl said taking over the franchise is "an immense honor and a great responsibility," while noting the developer has a long history of making city-building games, like 2021's post-apocalyptic city-builder Surviving the Aftermath.
"We see a strong foundation and so much potential waiting to be unleashed and I can't wait to show you what we have planned for the next chapter of this incredible game," Liljedahl said.
The forum post doesn't state a specific reason for why Colossal Order and Paradox are going their separate ways, but the launch of Cities: Skylines 2 wasn't exactly smooth. Prior to launch in October 2023, Paradox warned players about the game's performance issues.
After release, Colossal Order acknowledged various performance problems and stated its goal was to continue optimizing the title so that it could run at a stable 30 frames per second. In response to the game's rough launch, its Beach Properties DLC was made free, with additional content added to the game's Ultimate Edition. Cities: Skylines 2 currently sports a "Mixed" user review rating on Steam, while the original Cities: Skylines has "Very Positive" reviews.
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In a forum post, Paradox announced Cities: Skylines' development would be moving to one of its internal studios, Iceflake. The studio will take over "all existing and future" development updates for Cities: Skylines 2 and continue development on the game's long-delayed console versions.
As for Colossal Order, the studio will deliver a few more updates before Iceflake fully takes over. Those will include a major update that will add bikes, Old Town buildings, and other improvements. A beta version of the game's editor with mod-asset support will also arrive before the end of the year. Iceflake will then take over the franchise at the start of 2026.
In the forum post, Colossal Order Mariina Hallikainen said the studio never could have imagined Cities: Skylines would become a franchise played by millions.
"We're confident the franchise will continue to thrive under Paradox's leadership," Hallikainen said. "As we move forward, we're excited to channel our experience, creativity, and passion into new projects that align with our long-term vision."
Iceflake will be sharing its own plans for Cities: Skylines 2 development in the coming weeks, and is working with Colossal Order to ensure a smooth transition, according to the forum post. Iceflake Studio manager Lasse Liljedahl said taking over the franchise is "an immense honor and a great responsibility," while noting the developer has a long history of making city-building games, like 2021's post-apocalyptic city-builder Surviving the Aftermath.
"We see a strong foundation and so much potential waiting to be unleashed and I can't wait to show you what we have planned for the next chapter of this incredible game," Liljedahl said.
The forum post doesn't state a specific reason for why Colossal Order and Paradox are going their separate ways, but the launch of Cities: Skylines 2 wasn't exactly smooth. Prior to launch in October 2023, Paradox warned players about the game's performance issues.
After release, Colossal Order acknowledged various performance problems and stated its goal was to continue optimizing the title so that it could run at a stable 30 frames per second. In response to the game's rough launch, its Beach Properties DLC was made free, with additional content added to the game's Ultimate Edition. Cities: Skylines 2 currently sports a "Mixed" user review rating on Steam, while the original Cities: Skylines has "Very Positive" reviews.
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