Paradox Interactive is done waiting. After months of complaints, missed expectations, and slow fixes, the publisher has removed Colossal Order from Cities: Skylines 2 and handed control of the game to Iceflake Studios.

Cities: Skylines 2 launch failed to match its predecessor

Shiftdelete.net

In 2015, Colossal Order struck gold with the original Cities: Skylines, widely regarded as a benchmark in city-building games. But its 2023 sequel hasn’t lived up to the legacy. At launch, Cities: Skylines 2 was marred by technical issues, bloated system requirements, and missing features that were promised but never fully delivered.

Even now, a year later, many of those problems persist. The game holds a 74 Metacritic score but an abysmal 4.3 user rating, reflecting the gap between expectations and reality. Performance complaints remain widespread, while the pace of meaningful fixes has crawled.

Colossal Order exits, Iceflake Studios steps in

Now, Paradox has made the move. In a recent post on its official forum, the company confirmed that Colossal Order is stepping away from development. The next phase of the game’s life will be led by Iceflake Studios, a Finland-based team under Paradox’s own umbrella.

This marks a major shift, considering Colossal Order had a decade-long run with the franchise.

Here’s what happens next:

• Colossal Order will deliver a few final performance patches
• The long-promised bicycle feature is still on the roadmap
• Iceflake Studios will handle future free updates and paid DLCs

Iceflake Studios’ track record leaves questions

Iceflake isn’t an unknown name to Paradox fans they’re responsible for Surviving the Aftermath, a post-apocalyptic colony builder. But outside of that, their portfolio is mostly smaller-scale projects. That’s raised eyebrows among players, wondering if the sequel is being downgraded rather than rescued.

Still, some see it as a necessary reboot. Trust in Colossal Order had eroded. Patch delays combined with monetized content gave the impression that priorities were misaligned.

Can Cities: Skylines 2 be saved?

The shift in developers might breathe life back into the struggling sequel or it might just delay the inevitable. Either way, Paradox has made its call. Colossal Order built the city. Now someone else has to manage the mess.