In a surprising twist of events, Firaxis have announced the departure of two of their veteran players – the studio director Steve Martin and game director Jake Soloman. Both of them have been with the studio for more than 20 years, working on the development and release of some truly amazing games like XCOM, XCOM 2, and Marvel’s Midnight Suns.


Solomon issued an official press statement saying: “I’m embarking on a new chapter; however, I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to fulfill my dreams at Firaxis Games. I’m thankful to everyone who enjoyed XCOM and Marvel’s Midnight Suns, and to my development and publishing partners who helped bring those games to life.”


He also added that his “brain was on fire with a new dream” and that it was “time to go chase it”. He worked with the company for 23 years in total.


Steve Martin also issued a statement of his own, expressing his gratitude towards his former employer: “am tremendously grateful for the opportunity to have championed and led the work of such a talented group of people for the past couple decades at the greatest studio in the world. I am proud of the legacy of games Firaxis has created and its reputation in the industry.”

“I look forward to cheering on Firaxis in its next chapter. Stay civilized!”


Martin will be replaced by Firaxis Chief Operating Officer Heather Hazen.

“I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to carry on the studio’s storied legacy, beginning with the announcement that Firaxis is in development on the next iteration of the legendary Civilization franchise,” said Hazen of the new role. “I’m lucky to be working with some of the best developers in our industry, and we have plans to take the Civilization franchise to exciting new heights for our millions of players around the world. In addition, we will continue to support Marvel’s Midnight Suns with post-launch content, and explore new creative projects for our teams.”


Marvel’s Midght Suns is available now on Xbox Series X, PS5, and PC.