The CEO of Colossal Order, Mariina Hallikainen, has issued a response to the growing toxicity within the Cities: Skylines 2 community, addressing concerns over the game’s launch issues and the treatment of both developers and community members. The sequel to the acclaimed city-building simulation game launched in 2023 to mixed reviews, plagued by performance problems and missing features, notably an editor, which prompted a swift and vehement backlash from fans.
In a post on the Paradox forums, Hallikainen expressed concern over “a growing tendency of toxicity in our community,” emphasizing that the vitriol has reached levels previously unseen by the studio. The CEO warned that the persistent negativity could potentially deter community engagement and suppress creativity and modding – key elements that have contributed to the success of the Cities: Skylines franchise. “In the long run, this will really hurt not only the mood and the happiness of community members but also discourage creativity and modding, something we would be very sad to see,” Hallikainen stated.
The response from Hallikainen reflects a trend seen across the gaming industry, wherein developers must balance open communication with the need to protect their teams from harassment. This challenge was similarly confronted by Destiny 2’s Bungie, leading them to scale back direct interaction with their players after facing ongoing harassment.
Hallikainen is now contemplating the future of Colossal Order’s engagement with its player base, pondering whether increased moderation is necessary or if pulling back is the sole solution. “Should we add more moderation or is the only option to pull back our engagement on our end? How can we make sure the community is a safe place for you to share your thoughts and hopes for the game?” Hallikainen asked the community.
In a clarifying follow-up message, the CEO distinguished between healthy criticism and outright toxicity, noting that the latter consists of threats and personal attacks, which should not be conflated with constructive feedback on the game’s performance and requested improvements. “We don’t want praise, we want a community where we can discuss with the players about the game, what is working and what is not without facing abuse,” Hallikainen elaborated.
Meanwhile, Hallikainen assured that efforts to rectify the technical performance issues and bring modding support to Cities: Skylines 2 are ongoing, with an editor set to enter closed beta testing shortly. Additionally, a patch addressing various bugs and simulation and visual concerns is on the horizon, promising improvements based on both internal findings and community reports.
Despite the turbulence, the CEO’s message on the Paradox forums received largely positive responses, though the atmosphere in other venues like Steam comments was more contentious. Some community members have pointed to the state of the game as the root of the issue, while others maintain a supportive stance, understanding the distinction between voicing valid criticisms and resorting to toxic behavior.
Relevant articles:
– Cities: Skylines 2 studio boss warns that growing toxicity could force developers to ‘pull back our engagement’ with the community | PC Gamer
– Cities: Skylines 2 studio boss warns that growing toxicity could force developers to ‘pull back our engagement’ with the community
– Cities Skylines 2 CEO tells some fans it “just might not be for you”
– Cities: Skylines 2 Boss ‘Surprised’ by Tone of Debate After Patching Out ‘Offensive’ Radio Advert
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