In a move that marks the end of an era for the city-building community, Paradox Interactive, the publisher, and Colossal Order, the developer, have announced they are parting ways. After a 15-year partnership that defined the genre, the two companies will "pursue independent paths."
This surprise decision means the future of the troubled Cities: Skylines II will now rest in new hands. Development of the franchise is being passed to Iceflake Studios, an internal Paradox studio, which will take full control at the start of 2026.
This news isn't coming out of nowhere. It follows a tough year for Cities: Skylines II, which had a rough launch thanks to complaints about bad performance and missing features. For the fans who stuck by the game, this is a huge and very uncertain moment.
An End of an Era: Paradox and Colossal Order's Historic Split
These two companies, Paradox and Colossal Order, had one of the most successful partnerships in recent gaming. It started 15 years ago with Cities in Motion and eventually gave us the 2015 phenomenon Cities: Skylines, which is a game that became a beloved hit with millions of fans (myself included).
The public statements from both companies were respectful and appreciative, framing the split as a thoughtful, mutual decision.
"For over fifteen years, the Cities Series and our partnership with Paradox have been a defining part of our journey at Colossal Order," said Mariina Hallikainen, the CEO of Colossal Order. "We want to thank everyone at Paradox for their trust and collaboration, and of course the community for the incredible support that has made Cities what it is today."
Hallikainen confirmed that Colossal Order is moving on to new things, stating, "we’re excited to channel our experience, creativity, and passion into new projects that align with our long-term vision.”
Paradox Interactive's Deputy CEO, Mattias Lilja, mirrored the sentiment. "Our partnership with Colossal Order is one of the longest-running relationships we've enjoyed here at Paradox... it's remarkable how much we've achieved together. We have deep respect for the Colossal Order team and we look forward to seeing where they go from here."
No matter how you look at it, this is the end of the line for the original pairing. Colossal Order is officially no longer the developer behind the Cities games.
Who is Iceflake Studios? Meet the New Architects
The keys to the city are being handed over to Iceflake Studios, another Finland-based developer that is part of Paradox's internal family. While they may be new to the Cities franchise, they aren't new to the genre.
Lasse Liljedahl, the Studio Manager at Iceflake, issued a statement that directly addressed the massive weight of the task ahead.
"Taking the reins on a genre-leading franchise like Cities is an immense honor and a great responsibility," said Liljedahl. They also assured players that the Iceflake team is up to the challenge, noting, "Iceflake has the capacity and capability to get started. We have a decade worth of experience from making city building and management games. We see a strong foundation and so much potential waiting to be unleashed."
Iceflake's new responsibilities are total. They will take over all existing and future development, including patches for the current game, continuous work on the Editor, completion of the console editions, and creation of all future expansions.
The Handover: What Happens to the Game Right Now?
Colossal Order isn't walking away immediately. Before the official handover in 2026, the original team is delivering a few more crucial updates as a parting gift to the community.
Here is the immediate roadmap for the rest of the year:
- Bike Patch (November 19): A long-awaited update that will finally add bikes to the game, alongside new Old Town buildings, bug fixes, and general improvements.
- New Creator Packs & Radios (December 3): Two new creator packs and a pair of radio stations are set to be released.
- Asset Mods Beta (Before End of Year): Perhaps most critically, a Beta version of asset support for the Editor will be released. This will finally open the doors for Asset Mods on the Paradox Mods platform.
The Big Questions: Consoles, Bugs, and the Future of Mods
The official FAQ aimed to answer the community's most pressing concerns, which have been topics of heated discussion since the game's launch.
What about the console edition? The Iceflake team will be handling all development for the console version. However, they were non-committal on a timeline, stating only, "We are continuing to work on the console version and look forward to sharing updates with the community as soon as we are ready."
So, what about all the bugs? Are they still getting fixed? The FAQ confirmed that Colossal Order's final patches will include bug fixes. After that, Iceflake will oversee all future updates, which include patching and working on performance issues. Paradox is promising this is a "long-term commitment."
Why are Asset Mods in "Beta"? The announcement explains that asset support is "quite complex," so the Beta is aimed at users with extensive modding experience. The good news for casual players is that you will not need to use the Editor to access the mods; you can simply subscribe to them on Paradox Mods once creators start uploading them.
If you're a Cities: Skylines II player, this is probably a weird moment. It's sad to see Colossal Order go, but it also feels like a clean slate for a game that's had a very rough start. Everyone is now watching Iceflake Studios. They've been handed the game, and along with it, the hopes of a huge community that's still waiting for the great sequel they were promised.
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