GamesSimCities: Skylines 2Cities: Skylines 2 studio boss warns that growing toxicity could force developers to ‘pull back our engagement’ with the communityWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesSimCities: Skylines 2Cities: Skylines 2 studio boss warns that growing toxicity could force developers to ‘pull back our engagement’ with the communityWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
A wall of people waiting for a bus that will be late due to a wall of people(Image credit: Paradox Interactive)
A wall of people waiting for a bus that will be late due to a wall of people
Cities: Skylines 2 was not in great shape when it launched in 2023. The underlying game was quite good but it was plagued with performance problems and missing a number of features, most notably aneditor. That sparked a quick backlash onSteam, visible in the “mixed” user rating, but it also kicked off what Colossal Order CEO Mariina Hallikainen described as “a growing tendency oftoxicity in our community.”
Hallikainen said the level of toxic behaviour that’s followed in the wake of Cities: Skylines 2 is “something we have not experienced to this extent before,” and it’s aimed not just at developers but players as well. That could have a negative impact on the game in the long run, she warned, as it discourages people from interacting with other members of the community: “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.”
“We have always treasured having the devs present on the different social platforms and having direct communication with the community, but our biggest responsibility will always be protecting the team and making sure they work in a safe environment so they are allowed to do their best staying motivated and productive,” Hallikainen wrote on the Paradox forums. (Paradox Interactive is the publisher of Cities: Skylines 2.) “So we hope we can all work together for our devs to be able to stay and be continuously active.”
“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?”
“Toxicity is threats, attacking people and being outright mean. It has nothing to do with explaining what the issues with the game you might be facing and what you wish for the devs to fix or improve on first. 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.”
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