New Developer Takes the Helm for Cities: Skylines

In a significant development, Paradox Interactive has announced that the creation of the popular city-building series Cities: Skylines will transition from Colossal Order to Iceflake Studios. This decision comes after Colossal Order and Paradox Interactive mutually agreed to go their separate ways. The change aims to secure the strongest possible future for the franchise. Mariina Hallikainen, CEO of Colossal Order, expressed gratitude towards Paradox Interactive for their collaboration and trust, while also acknowledging the community's invaluable support. Hallikainen conveyed confidence that the series will continue to flourish under Paradox's guidance. As Colossal Order moves forward, they are eager to channel their experience and creativity into new projects that align with their long-term vision. Mattias Lilja, Deputy CEO of Paradox Interactive, commended the achievements of Colossal Order, highlighting their remarkable partnership that has resulted in four games, numerous expansions, and a vast community of players. Lilja emphasized Paradox's commitment to the Cities: Skylines community, ensuring they will continue to receive new content and experiences. Iceflake Studios, an internal Paradox game studio based in Tampere, Finland, will take over the development of the Cities franchise. Lasse Liljedahl, Studio Manager of Iceflake Studios, acknowledged the immense honor and responsibility of taking the reins of a genre-leading franchise like Cities. He assured the community that Iceflake Studios will respectfully carry the legacy forward, leveraging their decade-long experience in city-building and management games. Before handing over the reins, Colossal Order will complete a few remaining updates for Cities: Skylines II, including the addition of bikes and bug fixes. However, from the start of 2026, Iceflake Studios will assume all development responsibilities. Founded in 2009, Colossal Order achieved significant success with the release of Cities: Skylines in 2015, which has sold over 12 million copies across all platforms. The studio's first release was Cities in Motion in 2011. The game's sequel, Cities: Skylines II, was launched in 2023, with console versions experiencing continuous delays. According to the FAQ accompanying the announcement, Iceflake Studios will now develop the console editions. In a previous conversation, Hallikainen revealed that Colossal Order had an unusual agreement with Paradox, where they relinquished the rights to the Cities IP in exchange for maintaining their independence. This arrangement has allowed Colossal Order to remain a fully independent company, while Paradox retains ultimate control over the franchise's direction.