Firaxis Lays Off Employees, Despite Publisher Claiming Civilization 7 Sales Are 'Consistent With Expectations'

Firaxis Games has cut an unspecified number of staff members today, even as Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick maintains that sales for Civilization VII are tracking with forecasts.

Several Firaxis employees took to social media today to announce their departures, including team members from production, narrative design, and art departments. Publisher 2K confirmed the layoffs to Game Developer, noting that the studio is restructuring to optimize its development workflow for "adaptability, collaboration, and creativity." The specific number of affected staff was not disclosed.

Civilization VII launched earlier this year, earning a mixed reception on Steam due to player feedback regarding the user interface, limited map variety, and missing anticipated features. Firaxis has since deployed multiple updates aimed at addressing these concerns.

Meanwhile, Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive (2K’s parent company), stated that despite a "slow start" for Civilization VII, internal projections for the game's lifetime value remain aligned with initial targets.

“I believe the key takeaway is that Civ has always been a slow burn. It’s consistently proven to be a title that defies typical trends—I’m not entirely convinced by the long-tail theory in entertainment—but Civ exemplifies it. Currently, our forecasts for the title’s lifetime value are highly consistent with our original expectations.”

“So, while we started slowly and have implemented changes—with more on the way—consumer engagement continues to improve, and we feel very positive about the game’s trajectory. Over time, I believe it will secure its place in the civilization pantheon as a successful and credible entry.”