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Veteran X-COM & The Sims devs form Midsummer Studios with plans for new life sim

Former Firaxis devs Jake Solomon and Will Miller have joined with former Maxis director Grant Rodiek and co-founder Nelsie Birch to work on a new life sim game.
TJ Denzer
TJ Denzer
Image via Midsummer
2

Former Firaxis lead Jake Solomon has formed a new studio with several other industry veterans. Early in 2023, Solomon surprised many with his exit from Firaxis Studios. Well-known for directing the modern X-COM games, as well as Marvel’s Midnight Suns, Solomon’s exit was followed by reports that he wanted to form a new studio and pursue a life sim. This week, it seems the foundations of that pursuit are coming together. Midsummer Studios is a collection of talent with years of experience behind its leadership and its first project will be a life sim video game.

Midsummer Studios announced its opening via a new website and social media this week. Jake Solomon will be leading the studio up as its CEO and Creative Director. He is joined by a wealth of talent including fellow Firaxis alumni Will Miller, who will act as Game Director on their new project. Nelsie Birch is a co-founder that will act as COO and CFO to Midsummer, and former Maxis Director Grant Rodiek is joining them at the new studio as well.

Midsummer's hiring pitch for new developers to join its studio
Midsummer Studios is currently hiring for a number of developer positions to assist in the creation of a new life sim game.
Source: Midsummer Studios

Midsummer’s first ambition is to “reinvent the life sim genre,” as previously expressed by Solomon and explained further below:

The studio is kicking off this effort with about $6 million in funding from major investors including Transcend Fund, Tirta Ventures, Betaworks Ventures, 1Up Ventures, F4 Fund, Krafton, and Day Zero Productions. As we wait to see what form Midsummer’s first game will take, stay tuned for further details and updates here at Shacknews.

Senior News Editor
Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.

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