Firaxis Games is unique in the gaming industry. The Maryland-based game studio was founded in 1996 and produced a range of strategy and simulation games under the name of founder Sid Meier. In modern times,Firaxishas defined the modern approachable 4X game and helped create a wave of punishing throwback turn-based tactics titles. Being stuck in a cycle of developingCivilizationandXCOMgames isn’t for everyone, however. Unsurprisingly, a team of Firaxis has now spun off its own studio –Bit Reactor.
Bit Reactor, which will be based on Maryland alongside Firaxis, is being led by theCivilizationandXCOMstudio’s former art director, Greg Foertsch. Foertsch will take on the role of co-founder and CEO in the new studio. He’s being joined by a team of veterans who have also departed Firaxis and have deep roots in theCivilizationandXCOMfranchises. Bit Reactor isn’t solely made of former Firaxis devs, however. The studio’s new website also points to experience within the team from thedevelopment ofElder Scrolls Online.
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As for what Bit Reactor’s focus will be going forward, the studio’s modus operandi is to improve on the ideas it’s previously worked on. It wants to createindependent gameswith “rock solid gameplay” that works in harmony with “deep storytelling,” “immersive presentation,” and “high production values.” With that in mind, Bit Reactor says that it’s planning to help “usher in a new era of games” by creating experiences that “blur the line between strategy and action.”
With that in mind, Bit Reactor also explicitly states that it will be developing turn-based tactics games, a genre that will absolutely allow it to blend both strategy and action elements. But it also makes clear that Bit Reactor’s focus will trend away from the4XCivilizationexperiencescreated at Firaxis to instead focus on games more likeXCOM. Of course, it’s also clear that Bit Reactor doesn’t want to just create a newXCOM, but rather something unique that pushes the genre forward.
While Bit Reactor isn’t officially announcing any projects at this moment, it does claim to have multiple unannounced projects being worked on. The studio announcement will hopefully drive recruitment for Bit Reactor, as it’s looking for experienced developers for programming, design, and creative roles. It’s also open to working with developers remotely, as well as in Hunt Valley,Maryland.
For fans of Firaxis, this is an exciting development. Firaxis will undoubtedly continue to work onnewXCOMgames, while Bit Reactor will work on its new style of turn-based tactical games. Both studios will hopefully continue to grow, expanding the genre and driving creativity within it. It’s just going to take a few years beforeBit Reactoris ready to start sharing what it’s working on with the world.
