Electronic Arts has announced that they are closing down long-time SimCity developer Maxis, but the name will still be used for future titles by EA.
News of the closure was originally revealed by former Maxis designer Guillaume Pierre, who took to Twitter to announce the news. Following the breaking of the story, EA issued an official statement:
Today we are consolidating Maxis IP development to our studios in Redwood Shores, Salt Lake City, Helsinki and Melbourne locations as we close our Emeryville location. Maxis continues to support and develop new experiences for current Sims and SimCity players, while expanding our franchises to new platforms and developing new cross-platform IP.
These changes do not impact our plans for The Sims. Players will continue to see rich new experiences in The Sims 4, with our first expansion pack coming soon along with a full slate of additional updates and content in the pipeline.
All employees impacted by the changes today will be given opportunities to explore other positions within the Maxis studios and throughout EA. For those that are leaving the company, we are working to ensure the best possible transition with separation packages and career assistance.
Formed in 1987 by Will Wright and Jeff Braun, Maxis was best known for their popular SimCity and The Sims franchises. The studio was also behind several of the more creative simulation-based titles out there, such as the likes of Spore, SimAnt, and SimGolf.
While no concrete information was made available as to why EA decided to close the studio now, a source speaking to Kotaku says the recent disappointments of SimCity and The Sims 4 may have played a part.
Regardless of why Maxis may have been closed, we hope that those affected by it are able to land on their feet.
