Paradox Interactive and Colossal Order Part Ways After 15 Years of City Building
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Paradox Interactive and developer Colossal Order are ending their 15-year partnership, with internal team Iceflake Studios taking over development of Cities: Skylines 2 starting in 2026.
A massive era in management gaming is coming to a close. Paradox Interactive and developer Colossal Order have announced they are parting ways after a collaborative partnership that lasted more than fifteen years. According to a joint statement reported by Eurogamer, the decision was mutual. Colossal Order plans to explore new creative opportunities, while development on the Cities: Skylines franchise will shift internally.
Leadership of Cities: Skylines 2 will transfer to Iceflake Studios, another Finnish developer owned by Paradox, starting at the beginning of 2026. Iceflake will take over all ongoing updates, the modding editor, future expansions, and the long-delayed console editions. This transition arrives following a turbulent period for the franchise, marked by heavy community criticism over performance issues when the sequel launched in October 2023, alongside ongoing struggles to bring the game to console platforms.
Both teams reflected warmly on their long history together, which spans four games, numerous expansions, and a dedicated player base of millions. For the community, the main concern will be how Iceflake handles the road ahead. Players are looking for stability, better performance, and eventual console releases after a rocky couple of years for the city building simulation series.
Tags: Cities Skylines 2, Paradox Interactive, Colossal Order, Iceflake Studios, Simulation Games
Original article: Eurogamer