Key Takeaways
1. Firaxis Games experienced layoffs in September 2025, confirming job reductions due to restructuring and optimization efforts by publisher 2K.
2. Notable staff members affected by the layoffs include senior quality assurance tester Logan Blackwood and lead character artist Matthew Davis, who shared their experiences publicly.
3. Firaxis employees, including writers, are actively seeking new job opportunities in the gaming industry following the layoffs.
4. The layoffs come after the mixed reception of Civilization VII, which faced criticism for its user interface and the New Ages system, resulting in a low Steam rating.
5. Despite critical acclaim for Marvel’s Midnight Suns, the game was deemed a commercial failure, which may have contributed to the difficulties and restructuring at Firaxis.
The developer known for creating the Civilization series, XCOM, and Marvel’s Midnight Suns, Firaxis Games, has faced another round of layoffs in September 2025. This adds to the trend of job reductions that are sweeping through the gaming industry.
Confirmation of Layoffs
Publisher 2K has officially confirmed the layoffs at Firaxis Games. However, the exact number of staff members who lost their jobs is still unclear. The first reports about the layoffs emerged from social media posts made by affected employees.
Notable staff members, including senior quality assurance tester Logan Blackwood, lead character artist Matthew Davis, producer Maya H., and artist Daniella Zeman, shared their experiences of job loss online.
Job Seekers Emerge
A writer from Firaxis announced on LinkedIn:
“I am one of the layoffs at Firaxis, and I am looking for full-time writing positions at other studios. I’m a very flexible writer who contributed to Civilization VII and Marvel’s Midnight Suns during my nearly five years at the company. I urge you to consider my former coworkers who were also let go.”
A spokesperson from 2K confirmed the job reductions to Rock Paper Shotgun, stating:
“We can confirm there was a staff reduction today at Firaxis Games, as the studio restructures and optimizes its development process for adaptability, collaboration, and creativity.”
Challenges Post-Release
These layoffs follow a challenging time for Firaxis, especially after the launch of Civilization VII in February 2025, which received mixed reviews from both players and critics.
The game’s user interface and the controversial New Ages system were particularly criticized. According to SteamDB, Civilization VII has a Mixed user score, with a Steam rating of 47.30%, indicating that 24,643 out of 46,667 reviews were negative.
Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick acknowledged the difficulties faced by Civilization VII at its launch, stating that such issues are common for the series. Despite Firaxis’s attempts to enhance the game based on community feedback, including adding new content, it continues to perform poorly, likely influencing the recent restructuring.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns, which was released in 2022, garnered a Very Positive rating on Steam, with 81.4% positive reviews. However, despite its critical success, it was considered a commercial failure, as it did not meet sales expectations, which was attributed to a complicated DLC structure and an unfortunate release window.
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