Why Keeping Studio Teams Together is the Secret to Great Game Design
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Bit Reactor founder Greg Foertsch discusses how keeping development teams together at Firaxis shaped XCOM 2, offering a vital lesson on why the games industry must move past destructive layoff cycles to protect institutional knowledge.
The modern games industry has a severe retention problem, and the constant cycle of studio layoffs is quietly destroying the institutional knowledge that makes great titles possible. In a recent interview with Rock Paper Shotgun, Bit Reactor founder and Star Wars Zero Company creative director Greg Foertsch highlighted a vital lesson drawn from his time working on XCOM 2. When development teams stay intact over multiple projects, they build a shorthand, trust, and shared technical expertise that simply cannot be replaced once a studio purges its staff to appease short term investor demands.
Looking back at the development of XCOM: Enemy Unknown and its sequel at Firaxis, Foertsch noted that the core art team had worked together since 2006 on Sid Meier's Railroads. That foundation allowed the studio to pivot quickly, tackle complex engine upgrades, and push artistic boundaries because the team already knew how to communicate and execute under pressure. Instead of downsizing between major releases, leadership used DLC and expansions to keep staff employed and nurture rising talent, proving that valuing people directly translates to higher quality games for players.
For today's cross platform players and communities who watch their favorite developers get swallowed up by corporate restructuring, this behind the scenes perspective hits close to home. When publishers treat developers as disposable line items, the entire medium suffers from lost innovation and homogenized design. Supporting studios that prioritize sustainable team cultures and long term retention is one of the best ways we can advocate for the future of our favorite games.
Tags: Game Development, Industry News, Firaxis, XCOM, Culture
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun