Firaxis is one of the major tactical game developers, creating the wildly successful XCOM series and the recently released Marvel’s Midnight Suns. The developer seems to be moving in a new direction, though, after a slightly less-than-ideal launch of the most recent game, with the company’s director and studio head both leaving their roles.
Recent reporting from VGC claims that 2K is still on good terms with former game director Jake Solomon, who is leaving the company after two decades. Alongside him, the head of Firaxis Steve Martin is also leaving after 25 years at the company. This signals a monumental change in leadership, potentially pointing at the studio moving in a new direction.
In a statement shared with VGC, the developer said the studio’s leadership will now be headed by Heather Hazen. This news comes alongside the information that Firaxis is working on the next Civilization game as well as the upcoming Venom DLC for Marvel’s Midnight Suns, which will release on Feb. 23.
Solomon shared his thoughts on Twitter, expressing gratitude for all the time that he got to work on the XCOM and Marvel series and saying these were life-long dreams of his that had come true. When speaking about his love for creating tactical games, he said “it’s time for other, smarter people to push that space forward.”
The VGC article also points out that it wasn’t long after its release that Marvel’s Midnight Suns was discounted by a decent amount across platforms. While the game was received well by critics, it likely didn’t live up to Firaxis’ expectations, which could lead to parent company 2K seeking new leadership. Regardless, the developer and the former leadership seem to be parting on good terms, at least.
