Publisher 2K has confirmed to Rock Paper Shotgun that layoffs at Firaxis Games, the Maryland-based studio behind the recently launched Civilization VII. The company declined to reveal how many employees were affected or which departments faced cuts.
The workforce reduction comes just months after Firaxis released Civilization VII in mid-2024. The game marked the studio’s first mainline Civilization entry since 2016, introducing controversial new features like age-based progression and civilization switching that divided long-time fans. Writer Emma Kidwell for Firaxis games confirmed the news on her LinkedIn.
Player numbers tell a concerning story. Current Steam data shows Civilization VII drawing around 6,000 concurrent players, while the older Civilization VI maintains 27,000 and even 2010’s Civilization V holds steady at 15,000. These metrics suggest the newest entry hasn’t captured the audience 2K likely expected.
Firaxis has struggled with recent releases beyond Civilization. Marvel’s Midnight Suns earned critical praise in 2022 but failed to meet sales expectations. This led to the studio’s first round of layoffs in 2023, alongside the departure of creative director Jake Solomon. XCOM: Chimera Squad, a 2020 spinoff, also underwhelmed commercially.
The studio’s troubles mirror broader industry trends. Gaming companies have eliminated thousands of jobs since 2023 as they adjust expectations following pandemic-era growth. Take-Two Interactive, 2K’s parent company, has implemented cost-cutting measures across multiple divisions.
Despite the layoffs, 2K hasn’t announced changes to Civilization VII‘s post-launch support. The game continues receiving updates addressing map generation, user interface improvements, and balance tweaks based on player feedback.
