Next Mainline Sid Meier's Civilization is in Development, Studio Head and XCOM Director Depart - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 17 February 2023 / 2,136 Views
Publisher 2K announced the next mainline Sid Meier’s Civilization game is now in development at Firaxis Games.
Firaxis Games studio head Steve Martin and XCOM franchise and Marvel's Midnight Suns creative director Jake Solomon are leaving the company. Martin spend 25 years at the studio, while Solomon worked at the developer for over 20 years.
Firaxis Games COO Heather Hazen will replace Martin as studio head. Hazen will manage the studio's development teams and lead its mission to "build the best strategy games on the planet."
Ed Beach will remain as the creative director on Sid Meier’s Civilization. Beach has been an "integral part" on the franchise for 15 years and led the development of Sid Meier’s Civilization VI.
"We are excited to welcome Heather Hazen as the new Studio Head of Firaxis Games, and believe she will continue to drive the success Firaxis has consistently delivered as part of 2K’s independent studio model," said 2K president David Ismailer.
"2K and Firaxis Games are deeply grateful for the foundation that Steve Martin set during his time at the studio, shepherding more than 30 game launches across three genre-defining franchises, and for ensuring a smooth transition for Heather into her new role. Firaxis is one of our company and industry’s most renowned studios, and we are confident that the team will continue to do great things under her leadership.
"Jake revolutionized tactical turn-based games and continually raised the bar for storytelling in the strategy genre. We have deep appreciation for his work and can’t wait to see what he does next."
Firaxis Games studio head Heather Hazen added, "I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to carry on the studio’s storied legacy, beginning with the announcement that Firaxis is in development on the next iteration of the legendary Civilization franchise.
"I’m lucky to be working with some of the best developers in our industry, and we have plans to take the Civilization franchise to exciting new heights for our millions of players around the world. In addition, we will continue to support Marvel’s Midnight Suns with post-launch content, and explore new creative projects for our teams."
Firaxis Games former creative director Jake Solomon stated, "I’m embarking on a new chapter; however, I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to fulfill my dreams at Firaxis Games. I’m thankful to everyone who enjoyed XCOM and Marvel’s Midnight Suns, and to my development and publishing partners who helped bring those games to life."
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can contact the author on Twitter @TrunksWD.
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I was hoping the next game would be XCOM 3 since they set the story up for it nicely.
Honestly... I was hoping for a Beyond Earth 2... But something that aligns itself closer to Alpha Centauri which is regarded as one of the best TBS games of all time.
One day we might get there.
In the mean time, I'll keep picking up Alpha Centauri.
If Midnight Suns truly disappointed in sales, Civ 7 would be their logical next project because that'll be guaranteed to sell. Bummer though. I was looking forward to an XCOM 3
