2K Games has confirmed that an unspecified number of developers at Firaxis have been laid off following the release of Civilization VII earlier this year. The strategy game struggled with critics and fans when it was released in February.
On September 4, Game Developer reported that layoffs had happened at the long-running strategy game studio Firaxis, famous for developing the recent XCOM games as well as the Civilization franchise. Online, developers posted messages on social media and LinkedIn confirming the layoffs. 2K later confirmed to the outlet that it had indeed let go of numerous workers.
In a statement, a 2K spokesperson told the outlet that it needed to enact “staff reduction” at the studio as the publisher “restructures and optimizes” video game development at Firaxis to increase “adaptability, collaboration, and creativity.” 2K’s statement didn’t confirm how many were laid off as part of this process, but sources with knowledge of the situation told Game Developer that “dozens” of people had been let go at Firaxis.
“Impacted by the Firaxis layoffs today,” posted animator on LinkedIn. “It’s been an amazing 14+ years working with some of the best people, truly.”
“Unfortunately, I was affected by the recent layoffs at Firaxis today,” posted another dev, Erika Ward. “While I am sad to see this chapter close, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with such talented teammates and contribute to a project that truly withstands the test of time.”
This is the latest round of layoffs to hit a 2K-owned studio this year. In August, developers at Cloud Chamber, working on the next Bioshock game, were laid off as part of an effort to downsize the studio. In July, mobile developers at Cat Daddy Games posted online that they had been laid off. This was reportedly not the first round of cuts at the studio in 2025.
The last game from Firaxis before this round of layoffs was Civilization VII, which has sold fairly well, but has failed to connect with fans due to changes made to the series’ structure and pacing. Critics were also mixed on the latest entry in the series. On Steam, the last two Civilization games are more popular based on publicly available data.
Meanwhile, 2K Games’ parent company Take-Two Interactive is one of the biggest publishers in the industry. Later this month, it will publish Borderlands 4 through its 2K label. And next year, Take-Two will publish Rockstar’s highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6, which is likely to be the biggest game of 2026.