XCOM Designer Releases Footage of Canceled AI Life Sim as Studio Closes

Jake Solomon, who previously served as creative director on XCOM 2 and Marvel’s Midnight Suns, announced that the studio he founded, Midsummer Studios, is closing. Solomon created Midsummer Studios in 2024 with the goal of “reinvent[ing] the life sim genre,” and he shared a final message on X saying, “We built a studio, we made a game, and I’m really proud of both.” Before shutting the doors, Solomon posted pre-alpha footage of Burbank, an ambitious life sim he describes as “Life Sims + The Truman Show.” The clips show a system where players can customize television shows and write stories, supported by characters that “use AI for memory, reasoning and speech.” Solomon added that “all of our art is created by our talented artists.

We had no interest in replacing *any* developers with AI.” Solomon did not offer a reason for the closure.

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