Firaxis lays off staff as Civ 7 sales 'consistent with expectations'

Firaxis Games, developer of Civilization VII, has laid off an undisclosed number of employees, even as publisher 2K and parent company Take-Two insist the game is performing as expected.

News of the layoffs emerged on social media, with affected employees from production, narrative, and art teams confirming they had been let go. In a statement to Game Developer, 2K confirmed the layoffs, stating Firaxis is undergoing a restructuring to enhance “adaptability, collaboration, and creativity.” However, the company did not specify how many were impacted.

The layoffs come despite Civilization VII being released earlier this year. The game launched to a mixed reception, with criticism aimed at its user interface, limited map variety, and missing features. Firaxis has since rolled out multiple updates addressing player feedback.

Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick recently addressed concerns during an earnings call, acknowledging the game’s “slow start” but standing by its long-term performance.

“Civ has always been a slow burn,” Zelnick said. “While we were off to a slow start and have had to make changes — with more on the way — we feel good about the title’s trajectory. Our lifetime value projections remain consistent with our expectations.”

Zelnick added that consumer engagement is steadily improving and expects Civilization VII to eventually earn its place among the franchise’s more successful entries.

While Firaxis works to stabilize both the game and its development team, the layoffs have raised concerns about studio morale and the direction of future support. More changes are expected in the coming months, as the team continues refining the game post-launch.