Key Takeaways
1. Jake Solomon and Will Miller, both ex-Firaxis employees, founded Midsummer Studios to create a new “Sims-like” game focusing on player-driven narratives.
2. The studio secured $6 million in funding from multiple investors to support its vision and promote team morale with unique benefits.
3. Midsummer Studios announced its closure on February 19th, resulting in the cancellation of their game, Burbank, which had only been publicly showcased once.
4. The reasons for the studio’s closure remain unclear, leading to speculation about potential issues, including the game’s use of AI technology.
5. Fans are left awaiting further updates about the future of the game and the developers after the studio’s shutdown.
Back in 2024, Jake Solomon, who was the creative director and lead designer at Firaxis for more than 20 years, had contributed to games such as XCOM 2 and Marvel’s Midnight Suns. He then chose to start his own studio. To do this, he partnered with Will Miller, another ex-Firaxis employee known for his work on Civilization: Beyond Earth and Midnight Suns, along with Ryan Meier, the son of Civilization’s creator Sid Meier. Together, they founded Midsummer Studios and began developing a new “Sims-like” game.
Player-Driven Stories
This unnamed game was presented as an innovative Life-simulator aimed at emphasizing player-driven narratives. Solomon remarked, “The best stories in games are written by the players.” He added, “At Midsummer, we’re designing a life sim that zeroes in on the complexities of modern life, allowing our players to craft meaningful tales simply by playing, which they can then share with others.”
Funding and Growth
To turn this vision into reality, the studio managed to secure $6 million in funding from various investors, such as Transcend Fund, Tirta Ventures, Betaworks Ventures, 1Up Ventures, F4 Fund, Krafton, and Day Zero Productions. After acquiring the funds, their primary goal was to grow the studio sustainably while keeping team morale high by providing perks like shared equity in the company and unlimited paid time off. While this approach was both distinctive and risky, it seemed the studio was off to a promising start, especially considering the financial backing. However, a year later, the situation took a troubling turn.
On February 19th, Solomon made the announcement about the studio’s closure and the cancellation of their ambitious project. On X, he shared a touching farewell message along with a video that served as the game’s sole public appearance. “We built a studio, we made a game, and I’m genuinely proud of both. Before we shut down Midsummer Studios, I’d like to give you a sneak peek of Burbank, the game we dedicated ourselves to,” he expressed.
Speculations and Future
The post did not clarify the reasons behind the closure, and there were no signs of any issues within the studio, leaving the gaming community to ponder what might have gone wrong behind the scenes, with some people speculating about the game’s incorporation of AI. Burbank was designed to utilize LLM models to engage with players and provide real-time responses to their messages.
Fans of the developers and the game will have to wait for more official updates to learn about the future of both the game and the developers who initiated it.
YouTube | X
Source:
Link










