Paradox Interactive has cancelled the release of its life sim game Life By You. The game had received multiple delays prior to this, and now the publisher is pulling the plug on Paradox Tectonic’s first game.
Deputy CEO Mattias Lilja provided a statement on the Paradox Forums:
“Though a time extension was an option, once we took that pause to get a wider view of the game, it became clear to us that the road leading to a release that we felt confident about was far too long and uncertain.
“This is not to say the game has not shown any promising qualities; Life by You had a number of strengths and the hard work of a dedicated team that went into realizing them.
“However, when we come to a point where we believe that more time will not get us close enough to a version we would be satisfied with, then we believe it is better to stop.”
CEO Fredrik Wester provided a different quote to investors on this cancellation:
“For a long time, we’ve held hopes for Life by You and the potential we saw in it, but it is now clear that the game will not be able to meet our expectations. A version that we’d be satisfied with is too far away, and therefore we are taking the difficult decision to cancel the release.
“Moving forward, we should perform at a much higher level, and it’s obvious that we have work ahead of us.”
UPDATE: In a separate press release, Paradox has announced it will also be shutting down Paradox Tectonic. 24 people are affected. “Sadly, with cancellation of their sole project we have to take the tough decision to close down the studio,” Wester said. Original story follows.
Life By You’s early gameplay footages look rough, but there are glimpses of a proper competitor to The Sims. The game had Rod Humble, a long-time producer of The Sims, to be part of the project.
Paradox has a history of announcing games that later gets delayed and outright cancelled. Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 was announced, delayed then cancelled but a new developer has since picked up the mantle and currently developing a new vision for the sequel to the cult hit RPG.
Meanwhile, the recently announced Prison Architect 2 was also delayed and the custodian of the IP, Double Eleven, has parted ways with Paradox, leaving the development of the sequel into limbo.
Paradox will be missing out on the new wave of life sims coming out which includes Paralives (releasing in Early Access in 2025), InZoi, and the new game by Midsummer Studios co-founded by XCOM and Midnight Suns lead Jake Solomon.