Firaxis Games has officially announced that a new Civilization game is in development at the studio.
Revealed alongside the announcement that former COO Heather Hazen will be the new studio head, Firaxis did not confirm whether or not it would be the seventh game in the main series or a spinoff in the vein of Civilization: Beyond Earth.
“I am thrilled to have this opportunity to continue the studio’s storied legacy, beginning with the announcement that Firaxis is in development for the next iteration of the legendary Civilization franchise,” said Hazen.
“I’m fortunate to be working with some of the best developers in our industry, and we have plans to take the Civilization franchise to exciting new heights for our millions of players around the world. Additionally, we’ll continue to support Marvel’s Midnight Suns with content after release and explore new creative projects for our teams.”
Fans have been patiently waiting for confirmation of a new entry for seven years, following the release of Civilization 6 in 2016. The studio has since been working on its other premier strategy franchise in XCOM: Chimera Squad, and most recently tried something brand new with its aforementioned Midnight Suns Marvel.
With the announcement only coming now, with no mention of a release date, mechanics, or any other gameplay details, it’s likely that the new Civilization is still years away, but it will seemingly be Firaxis Games’ main focus going forward.
All gratitude. pic.twitter.com/pqe56mVvd5
— Jake Solomon (@SolomonJake) February 17, 2023
The studio will be doing so without one of its leading figures, however, as former creative director of Marvel’s XCOM franchise and Midnight Suns, Jake Solomon, has announced his departure from Firaxis.
In a statement posted on Twitter (above), Solomon said he had nothing but positive feelings about his time at the studio and was only leaving to pursue a new passion.
“After 23 wonderful years, I am leaving Firaxis,” he said. “I’m a big dreamer and I fulfilled two lifelong dreams making XCOM (and XCOM 2, and War of the Chosen) and Marvel’s Midnight Suns. I’m the luckiest kid who ever lived.”
Solomon continued: “I’ve enjoyed designing regular turn-based games, but it’s time for other, smarter people to push this space forward. My brain is on fire with a new dream. Time to chase it.”
His departure means that the three leading figures behind the XCOM franchise have now left Firaxis. Solomon as designer and director was joined by producer Garth DeAngelis and art director Greg Foertsch.
Editor’s Note: Updated to include information about Jake Solomon’s departure and to clarify that Firaxis has not confirmed whether or not it will be a core game.
Ryan Dinsdale is IGN’s freelance and acting UK news editor. He’ll be talking about The Witcher all day.