In a rather surprising turn of events, publisher Paradox Interactive has revealed that it has come to a mutual parting of ways agreement with developer Colossal Order, which will see the two companies heading in separate directions and will see development of the Cities: Skylines series handed to another studio.
In a lengthy blog post, it's revealed that Iceflake Studios will be the one that is taking over the simulation series and that the Finnish developer, who is one of Paradox's internal development studios, is currently "hard at work getting into the nuts and bolts of Cities: Skylines II."
Speaking about this decision, Colossal Order's CEO Mariina Hallikainen has stated: "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. We're confident that the franchise will continue to thrive under Paradox's leadership. As we move forward, we're excited to channel our experience, creativity, and passion into new projects that align with our long-term vision."
It won't be an instant swap over of development studios, as Colossal Order will be handling a few final updates before departing, including the upcoming Bike Patch and the beta implementation of the asset support for the Editor tool. Iceflake will thus take over at the start of 2026.
In the statement, it's also noted that Iceflake will "introduce themselves in the coming weeks and share their plans in the near future, so you know what to expect next!"