Renowned game designer Jake Solomon has announced the closure of Midsummer Studios and the cancellation of its ambitious life simulation game, Burbank. Following a rocky commercial performance of his previous project, Marvel's Midnight Suns, Solomon founded Midsummer in May 2024, aiming to revolutionize life sims. However, just 21 months later, progress halted, leaving the game in a pre-alpha state. The intriguing concept allowed players to create characters with detailed backstories and shape their interactions in a TV show-like environment, incorporating AI to enhance character development. Despite the studio's closure, Solomon expressed pride in what the team accomplished and shared a trailer to celebrate their work.

What was the concept behind the canceled game Burbank?

Burbank was designed as a next-gen life simulation game where players created characters with rich backstories and orchestrated their narratives in a TV-like setting. The game featured AI-driven characters that could evolve and participate in scripted interactions, similar in spirit to shows like The Office.

Jake Solomon is well-known for his influential role in the XCOM franchise at Firaxis Games and his recent work on Marvel's Midnight Suns. While Burbank aimed to innovate the life simulation genre, drawing comparisons to Tomodachi Life and The Movies, its cancellation has left fans eagerly anticipating what Solomon's next endeavor might be.