The Cities: Skylines franchise is changing hands after Paradox Interactive and developer Colossal Games announced they will go their separate ways. Paradox posted the update on its forums, confirming that Iceflake Studios will assume development duties in early 2026. Read the full forum post.
The series has endured heavy criticism since the troubled launch of Skylines 2 in 2023. Player reviews on Steam remain mixed, with many users calling out persistent bugs and an unfinished feel. Backlash intensified after the release of the paid Beach Properties DLC — widely perceived as an underwhelming add-on that arrived before essential fixes — prompting a public response from Colossal Games.
We have some exciting times ahead, from bikes to the asset mods beta, this is what you can expect from us before 2026! pic.twitter.com/NDEc0nO36Y
— Cities: Skylines (@CitiesSkylines) November 18, 2025
The handover will take place at the start of 2026. Before Colossal steps away, the studio will deliver several planned updates for Cities: Skylines 2, including bicycle infrastructure, Old Town-style buildings, a suite of bug fixes (no exhaustive list was provided), and a beta for asset support in the Editor to enable modded assets. Other frequently requested features — such as a console port — remain undecided and will be evaluated by Iceflake Studios.
Paradox characterized the separation as mutual. Colossal’s CEO, Mariina Hallikainen, expressed confidence that the franchise will continue to flourish under Paradox’s stewardship. Iceflake Studios, which previously developed Surviving the Aftermath, will oversee free updates as well as future expansions and content packs. Studio manager Lasse Liljedahl said the team sees a robust foundation and significant potential, and looks forward to revealing their plans for the next chapter.
Source: Polygon
