The fate of the SimCity franchise seems to be repeating with Cities: Skylines

Cities: Skylines II arrived with high expectations, but the reality was disappointing

When SimCity returned in 2013 after years of absence, the expectation was that Maxis would once again set a milestone. However, things turned out differently: technical problems, mandatory online connections, and stifling gameplay caused frustration. What was meant to be a revival became the beginning of the end for the series and Maxis itself. Years later, the legacy seemed safe in the hands of Colossal Order. With Cities: Skylines in 2015, the studio offered exactly what fans had missed: freedom, enormous possibilities, and a vibrant community with thousands of mods. It was a game that demonstrated that the city-building genre was still very much alive. Cities: Skylines II arrived with high expectations, but the reality was disappointing. Released in 2023, the game still suffers from significant issues. Despite several company announcements, after nearly two years there has been little to no improvement. The most common complaints are poor performance and optimization. The game does not run smoothly, even on powerful PCs, and large cities cause stuttering and crashes. That makes building unpleasant and leads to irritation among fans who were used to the stable performance of the first installment.

Released in 2023, the game still suffers from significant issues

Additionally, there is much criticism of the traffic AI and simulation. Cars often behave illogically, making sudden U-turns, stopping without reason in the middle of the road, causing traffic jams. Public transport does not work as expected either: buses and trams compete with car traffic rather than aiding it, and traffic flows seem poorly planned. Economically, the game also falters. Goods flows and industries do not seem to function realistically, making city management much less realistic than announced. Important policy options at the neighborhood level are missing, causing city management to feel too simplistic. The parallels with the fate of SimCity are hard to ignore. Where Maxis once stumbled over too many restrictions and bad choices, Colossal Order seems to make the same mistake by offering the community an incomplete product. It is ironic that the studio that once proved it could do better now faces the same pitfalls. The question is whether enough trust remains to build further. With good patches, stronger communication, and better support for mods, Cities II could still recover. But as with Maxis, players quickly lose patience when promises are not fulfilled. The city-building genre deserves a future, but that future depends on developers truly learning the lessons of the past. What went wrong with Maxis does not have to happen again—unless Colossal Order lets it come that far. And unfortunately, it looks like it might.

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