Paradox Interactive Cancels Life By You and Shuts Down Paradox Tectonic Studio

by Tom Misch
in News, Release
on 18 June 2024

In a surprising turn of events, Paradox Interactive has announced the cancellation of its highly anticipated management game, Life By You. The decision was made public in a forum post by Paradox deputy CEO, Mattias Lilja, who cited the game’s lack of development as the primary reason for its cancellation.

The news also revealed the closure of Paradox Tectonic, the Californian studio responsible for working on Life By You. It is indeed a difficult blow for the dedicated team at Tectonic, who had put in significant effort towards the Early Access release of the game.

Paradox Interactive CEO, Fredrik Wester, expressed his regret over the situation. “Sadly, with the cancellation of their sole project, we have to take the tough decision to close down the studio,” Wester stated. This unfortunate turn of events is unfortunately becoming all too common in the game industry, where such decisions are being made without much hesitation.

Paradox Interactive’s financial report from last year showed record revenue but a decrease in profits. While Cities Skylines 2 proved to be a lucrative venture in the last quarter, there was a major setback with the strategy game, The Lamplighters League, resulting in a $23 million loss. This, in turn, led to significant layoffs at studio Harebrained Schemes, which Paradox Interactive eventually parted ways with in October.

Life By You had already faced numerous delays, with the latest one being an indefinite postponement back in March. Originally slated for release on June 4th, the game had generated excitement, with a promising demo discovered by Katharine (RPS peace) last August.

Unfortunately, this kind of unfortunate occurrence has become increasingly common in the industry. Just this week, Embracer shut down the studio behind the Alone In The Dark reboot, and earlier in May, Take-Two, Microsoft, and other major industry players made similar decisions, leading to the closure of various well-regarded studios.

We can only hope for the best for all those affected by these recent developments and that the industry can find a more stable path in the future.

Facts not mentioned in the article:

1. Paradox Interactive is a Swedish video game publisher and developer known for its strategy games.
2. Paradox Tectonic was a Californian studio under Paradox Interactive.
3. The cancellation of Life By You is due to the game’s lack of development.
4. Paradox Interactive’s CEO, Fredrik Wester, expressed regret over the cancellation and announced the closure of Paradox Tectonic as a result.
5. The game industry has seen an increasing number of studio closures and game cancellations in recent times.

Key questions and answers:

1. Why was Life By You cancelled?
– The primary reason for the cancellation was the game’s lack of development.

2. What is the impact of the cancellation on Paradox Tectonic?
– The closure of Paradox Tectonic was announced as a result of the cancellation of Life By You.

3. What does this mean for the game industry?
– The game industry has been experiencing a trend of studio closures and game cancellations, leading to job losses and uncertainty for developers.

Advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages:
– The cancellation decision was made early, preventing further investment in a game that was not progressing well.
– Paradox Interactive can now focus on other projects and allocate resources more efficiently.
– The closure of Paradox Tectonic may lead to opportunities for developers to find new positions in other studios or explore independent projects.

Disadvantages:
– Developers at Paradox Tectonic have lost their jobs due to the closure of the studio.
– Fans of Life By You will be disappointed by the cancellation and will not be able to experience the game as originally envisioned.
– The game industry as a whole is facing a challenging environment with increasing closures and cancellations, creating uncertainty for developers and potential consequences for the industry’s future.