Layoffs are persistently increasing across the gaming industry, with Firaxis Games being the most recent victim. This studio is renowned for creating the beloved strategy game series Sid Meier’s Civilization and XCOM, along with Marvel’s Midnight Suns tactical RPG.
Initially, the news didn’t originate from the developer or its publisher, 2K, themselves, but instead, it was shared by Firaxis writer Emma Kidwell on LinkedIn. In a post, she expressed that she had been let go and that other team members at the studio were also affected.
Hello there! Unfortunately, I was let go from Firaxis Games. However, I’m eager to take on a full-time writing position at your studio. With nearly five years of experience under my belt, I contributed significantly to projects like Civilization VII and Marvel’s Midnight Suns while at the studio. I would also like to draw attention to my former colleagues who were unfortunately affected by the layoffs as well.
After reading Kidwell’s post, the team at Rock Paper Shotgun decided to contact 2K for clarification, and they received a response stating that a staff reduction occurred on Thursday morning.
It was stated by a representative from Firaxis Games that they carried out a reduction in staff today, as part of an overhaul aimed at improving their development process to foster adaptability, teamwork, and innovation. The fact that this news was released quietly, and coincides with the highly anticipated launch of Hollow Knight: Silksong on Thursday, is worth noting, given the gaming community’s intense focus on this event.
According to reports, the spokesperson clarified that 2K does not disclose the exact number of employees affected by layoffs. Consequently, the current number of Firaxis developers impacted remains unknown. The term “restructuring” implies it could be a significant number, although this is just an assumption.
In 2023, approximately 30 developers lost their jobs at the studio, as part of Take-Two Interactive’s broader cost reduction plan that year. This parent company of 2K even dismissed almost 600 employees in 2024, representing about 5% of its workforce. Additionally, some upcoming games they were involved with were also scrapped during this period.
In February, the most recent installment of the long-standing grand strategy series, Civilization VII, was unveiled by Firaxis. This game is now available on Xbox, Windows PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and macOS systems.
Although the developers have released numerous post-release enhancements aimed at enhancing the gameplay, Civilization 7 still carries a somewhat contentious image, as evidenced by only 49% of its 23,711 Steam reviews being favorable.
The game received a cautious “Mixed” rating due to its performance, which is reflected by its scores that are comparable on Xbox and PlayStation systems. Despite this, it garnered positive reviews from critics, earning a 79/100 “Generally Favorable” rating on Metacritic.
The rebranded game from 2022, Marvel’s Midnight Suns (formerly known as its original title), has received an overwhelmingly positive response. It boasts a Metacritic score of 83/100 and maintains a “Very Positive” rating on Steam, with 8,359 out of its 10,703 user reviews awarding it a favorable review.
We find ourselves here yet again
Over the past three years, the gaming sector has experienced an unrelenting wave of job losses, leading to approximately 40,000 workers being let go from diverse game development studios and publishing companies. The recent layoffs at Firaxis are just another example of this widespread trend.
Additionally, they arrive a week following the second round of compulsory job reductions at Crystal Dynamics, who are known for their work on Tomb Raider, this year. Notably, similar downsizing has occurred lately at Microsoft and Xbox.
As a tech enthusiast, I can’t help but notice the recent news about Microsoft shutting down The Initiative and cancelling the eagerly anticipated reboot of Perfect Dark. Interestingly, there was a glimmer of hope when Take-Two Interactive, Firaxis’ parent company, attempted to revive the project by striking a deal with Microsoft. Unfortunately, the agreement could not be finalized as we couldn’t agree on long-term ownership of the property.
It’s truly disheartening, as I pointed out in last week’s report on Crystal Dynamics layoffs, to repeatedly create headlines about such job losses, given the high number of game developers worldwide who are facing unemployment.
Excessive spending on video games due to the pandemic, combined with rising production costs and various economic and social issues worldwide, have collectively formed a powerful hurricane that’s been damaging the gaming industry over the past few years. I truly wish for a swift return to stability within this industry.
Once again, our empathy extends to the developers impacted by these reductions, along with anyone else affected, from the team at Windows Central.
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2025-09-05 01:40