Firaxis Games
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"The best game ever": Old World designer dreams of making a sequel to Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri that "renews the mechanics"
Daniels Umanovskis, a designer on Mohawk Games' Old World, expressed a strong desire to create a sequel to Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, calling it "the best game ever." He believes a modern take on the game could renew its mechanics while maintaining its high-quality narrative and atmosphere. Soren Johnson, another designer at Mohawk, also commented on the challenges of designing modern 4X games without a clear 'empty map' starting point, often leading to sci-fi settings.
Is Fortnite Toxic? An Honest Answer Backed by Data (2026) | TAG
Data suggests Fortnite's reputation for toxicity is more nuanced than commonly perceived, with lower rates of identity-based harassment compared to other competitive shooters. While age-driven trash talk and skill-gap frustration are prevalent, especially in modes like Ranked, Epic Games has implemented moderation tools and default communication settings to mitigate harm, particularly for younger players.
Civilization 7 Delivers Second Patch 1.3.2 with Teen Account Support
Firaxis Games has released a second patch for Civilization 7 Update 1.3.2, focusing on stability improvements and introducing Teen Account support. This update reflects a broader industry trend towards making strategy games more accessible to younger audiences through features like parental controls and communication safeguards.
Firaxis reveal Civilization 7's not good enough at building attack maths, tanking its late-game performance - a patch/tutor is here
Firaxis Games has released Update 1.3.2 for Civilization 7, addressing late-game performance issues caused by inefficient calculations in game logic. The patch also introduces 2K's teen accounts, allowing parents to restrict online play, chat, and microtransaction access for players under 18. The developer also confirmed work continues on the 'Test of Time' update.
Midnight Suns Players Are Bringing Marvel’s Deep Cuts to Life
Players of Marvel's Midnight Suns are utilizing the game's robust character creator to recreate deep-cut Marvel characters like Viv Vision, showcasing impressive creativity and knowledge of the comics. This trend highlights the flexibility of Firaxis Games' creation tools and the community's passion for celebrating lesser-known characters.
Games Inbox: What is your favourite retro video game format?
Readers discuss their favorite retro gaming formats, with the Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, and Commodore 64 being popular choices. The discussion also touches on anticipation for upcoming games like The Witcher 4 and Switch 2, as well as the perceived decline of studios like Firaxis.
Xenonauts 2 review - a legally distinct XCOM 3
Xenonauts 2 is a turn-based tactics game that serves as a spiritual successor to the original X-COM, focusing on intense battles and strategic base management. While it excels as a homage with improved graphics and a challenging difficulty, it offers few new ideas and relies heavily on the random elements that defined the original.
"Keeping teams together doesn't seem to matter to people, but for us it did": Star Wars Zero Company's director on what the industry can learn from XCOM 2
Greg Foertsch, director of Star Wars Zero Company and former art director on XCOM 2, emphasizes the importance of keeping development teams together to foster institutional knowledge and trust. He argues that this cohesion, demonstrated by Firaxis Games' work on the XCOM series, leads to better games and is a valuable lesson for an industry frequently impacted by layoffs.
"I was chomping at the bit to crack the code": How procedural maps became XCOM 2's biggest ambition, after Firaxis couldn't manage it in Enemy Unknown
Firaxis Games initially struggled with procedural map generation for XCOM: Enemy Unknown, opting for handcrafted levels to ensure quality. For XCOM 2, the team prioritized cracking procedural generation, developing a 'plot and parcel' system to create varied and believable maps across different environments. Key figures like Garth DeAngelis, Jake Solomon, Greg Foertsch, and Brian Hess were instrumental in overcoming the technical and design challenges.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 appears to earn an estimated $30 thousand on Steam per negative review
GameDiscoverCo has released an unconventional analysis of Steam sales data, highlighting metrics like revenue per negative review. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 reportedly earns an estimated $30,000 for every negative review, indicating significant revenue despite player dissatisfaction. The analysis also touches on player sentiment, game abandonment, and the impact of multiplayer and free-to-play models on reviews.
"0.63 is the perfect default delay": Bungie, Respawn and Firaxis game developers talk NPC barks, grenade timing and other questions of craft
Game developers from studios like Firaxis, Bungie, and Respawn shared practical advice on various aspects of game development, including NPC dialogue, UI animation timing, and combat design principles. The discussion, initiated on Bluesky, highlighted the importance of small details in creating satisfying player experiences.
Star Wars Zero Company Studio Founder Says Call With Vince Zampella Led to Project’s Development
Bit Reactor studio founder Gregory Foertsch revealed that a call from Vince Zampella inspired the development of Star Wars Zero Company, a turn-based tactics game set in the Star Wars universe. The game, officially unveiled in April 2025, is coming to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, with its story set between Episode 2 and Episode 3. Foertsch aimed to create a grittier atmosphere, drawing inspiration from Rogue One and The Clone Wars.
Star Wars Zero Company Studio is All-In on Tactical Combat, but “Depth Doesn’t Cost You Elegance”
Star Wars Zero Company, developed by BitReactor and featuring former XCOM leads, is an upcoming tactical combat game for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5. The game emphasizes deep tactical gameplay while also incorporating rich storytelling, character backstories, and environmental exploration. Permadeath is a core feature, designed to evoke the theme of loss central to the Star Wars universe.
Soren Johnson on keeping his game studio small: 'You get better games if you take longer to make games'
Soren Johnson, co-founder of Mohawk Games, discusses the studio's strategy of remaining small to produce higher quality games over longer development cycles. Mohawk Games, known for 'Old World' and 'Offworld Trading Company,' is releasing new DLC for 'Old World' and plans to continue focusing on niche titles.
Star Wars Zero Company exists because late Call of Duty co-creator Vince Zampella wanted to know about an XCOM veteran's dream game: "Do you think you can make a Star Wars game with this?"
Late Call of Duty co-creator Vince Zampella initiated the development of Star Wars Zero Company by contacting a veteran XCOM developer about their dream game. Zampella, who passed away in 2025, was known for his significant influence in the industry. The project aims to create a Star Wars game within the strategy and tactics genre.
Everything you need to know about Star Wars Zero Company
Star Wars Zero Company, a tactics game from Bit Reactor, is set during the Clone Wars and features squad-based combat with RPG elements. Players lead a mercenary company investigating a new Dark Side faction, with gameplay blending third-person exploration at a home base with turn-based tactical missions. The game is expected to launch in 2026 and is being published by Electronic Arts.
Star Wars Zero Company is more than just 'Star Wars XCOM'—it feels like Mass Effect but with turn-based…
Star Wars: Zero Company, developed by Bit Reactor and published by Lucasfilm Games and Electronic Arts, blends turn-based tactics with RPG elements and a strong narrative. The game features third-person exploration and customizable characters, reminiscent of Mass Effect, alongside deep tactical combat inspired by XCOM. Developers emphasize high production values and an authentic Star Wars aesthetic, with a focus on character relationships and permanent consequences, including permadeath for squad members.
32 Best Strategy Games To Play Over And Over Again In 2026
This guide highlights 32 of the best strategy games available to play, spanning various subgenres like city-builders, real-time strategy, and turn-based tactics. The list includes both classic titles and modern releases, emphasizing games that require critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Many of the featured games are playable on PC and consoles, offering diverse gameplay experiences.
Gamescom 2024 Steam Deck News, Reviews Including Bakeru and SCHiM, New Verified Games, Discounts, and More – TouchArcade
This week's Steam Deck Weekly covers Gamescom 2024 news, including impressions and reviews of Bakeru, Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse, SCHiM, Gestalt: Steam and Cinder, and the Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun expansion. It also highlights new Steam Deck Verified and Playable games, along with ongoing sales and discounts.
Throwback XCOM successor Xenonauts 2 leaves early access in April, though the developer says the milestone…
Xenonauts 2, a successor to the classic XCOM formula developed by Goldhawk Interactive, will leave Steam Early Access on April 2. The developer plans to continue supporting the game with patches and will release modding tools post-launch. The original Xenonauts was released in 2014 and praised for its faithful adaptation of X-COM: UFO Defense's core mechanics.
