Launch Issues of Cities: Skylines 2
The release of Cities: Skylines 2 was met with significant challenges, including performance problems and a lack of key features, notably the anticipated game editor. This resulted in a swift backlash from the gaming community, as reflected in the “mixed” user ratings on Steam. Colossal Order’s CEO, Mariina Hallikainen, expressed concern over the growing toxicity within the community, which was directed not only at the developers but also at fellow players.
Community Impact and Developer Engagement
The escalating toxicity within the Cities: Skylines 2 community has had a detrimental effect, threatening to undermine the spirit of collaboration and creativity that is vital for modding and player engagement. The presence of developers on social platforms has been a cornerstone of fostering a direct and constructive dialogue with the community. However, the safety and well-being of the development team is paramount, necessitating measures to protect them from harmful behavior.
- Enhanced moderation to filter out toxic interactions
- Retreating from direct engagement if toxicity persists
- Creating a safe space for sharing ideas and feedback
Comparative Industry Challenges
The challenges faced by Colossal Order with the launch of Cities: Skylines 2 are not unique within the gaming industry. A similar situation unfolded at Bungie, the studio behind Destiny 2, where developers experienced ongoing harassment and threats from the community. This led Bungie to reduce direct interactions between developers and players, opting instead for an anonymized “Destiny 2 Team” account on social media to manage communications and protect individual staff members.
Addressing Community Feedback
Mariina Hallikainen, CEO of Colossal Order, has clarified the distinction between toxicity and constructive criticism in the context of the Cities: Skylines 2 community’s response. Toxicity, as described by Hallikainen, includes threats, personal attacks, and mean-spirited comments, which are counterproductive and unrelated to providing valuable feedback on the game. Constructive criticism, on the other hand, is about sharing experiences with the game, pointing out issues, and suggesting improvements without resorting to abuse.
The CEO’s message on the Paradox forums received largely positive reactions, with many community members understanding the need to differentiate between harmful behavior and helpful feedback. However, the Steam comments section presented a more heated discussion, with some individuals attributing the community’s frustration to the state of the game at launch and accusing the CEO of deflecting blame onto the players.
Development Update on Cities: Skylines 2
As Cities: Skylines 2 continues to evolve post-launch, the development team is working diligently to address the community’s concerns. CEO Mariina Hallikainen has announced that the much-anticipated game editor is expected to enter closed beta testing soon, although a specific issue with asset imports is still being resolved. Prior to the editor’s release, a patch focused on simulation and visual bug fixes is set to be rolled out. The patch notes will be made available to the public once the update is live.
| Upcoming Feature | Status |
| Game Editor Closed Beta Testing | Expected in a few weeks |
| Patch for Simulation and Visual Bugs | To be released before the editor |
