Former XCOM director Jake Solomon creates ‘next-gen’ life simulator

Jake Solomon, former creative director and design lead for the XCOM franchise and Marvel’s Midnight Suns, has teamed up with veteran developers behind games such as Sid Meier’s Civilization, new generation”. to the Life Sim genre.”

Solomon, who worked at Firaxis for 23 years, is CEO and creative director of Midsummer Studios, and is joined by co-founder Will Miller, another former Firaxis developer who takes on the role of game director for this untitled game . Miller was with Firaxis for 16 years and was the lead designer on Civilization: Beyond Earth and the lead engineer on Marvel’s Midnight Suns.

Nelsie Birch, who has more than 25 years of experience in financial and operational management, is COO/CFO. Also on the team is Grant Rodiek, who spent 18 years at Maxis as a producer and director on a wide range of Sims entries and expansions.

While we don’t know much more about the game the team is developing, the concept is a “next-generation Life Sim that emphasizes player-driven narratives, allowing communities to share memorable moments born from the creativity of the players themselves.

To help achieve this goal, the studio has raised $6 million from major investors including Transcend Fund, Tirta Ventures, Betaworks Ventures, 1Up Ventures, F4 Fund, Krafton and Day Zero Productions.

“The best stories in games are written by the players,” Solomon said. “At Midsummer, we are creating a life simulation focused on the drama of modern life, where our players will write meaningful stories simply by playing, and then share those stories with the world. »

Now that the initial investment has been secured, Midsummer Studios will focus on “sustaining growth of its studio. The founders hope to champion the health and happiness of their team members, providing them with equity in the company and unlimited paid leave.

For more, check out IGN’s review of Marvel’s Midnight Suns and Solomon talking about wanting to make a simulation game if he could get funding to do it in 2023.

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Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.