XCOM and Midnight Suns designer might make a life sim for his next game

The designer behind Firaxis Games’ highly successful XCOM reboot isn’t sure what he’s going to do next with the studio he’s starting, but he wants to try something different from the turn-based genre where he made his name.

“I found that I wasn’t that excited about doing another turn-based strategy game,” Jake Solomon explained to Simon Parkin’s My Perfect Console podcast. You can also listen to the podcast on Spotify. “Not because the genre isn’t amazing — it’s where I’ve spent my life — but I felt like I didn’t have anything more to say in that area.”

A month ago, Solomon announced that he would leave Firaxis after 23 years — literally the only job he’s held since graduating college in May 2000. After 25 years of service, Steve Martin, Firaxis’ studio chief, announced that he was leaving. Civilization 7 was currently in development and on the way out.

Solomon’s farewell thanked 2K Games and Firaxis for “23 wonderful years,” and said he “loved designing tactical turn-based games, but it’s time for other, smarter people to push that space forward.”

Interestingly, in Parkin’s podcast, Solomon mentioned that Firaxis founder Sid Meier had himself started multiple studios and projects. “I thought to myself, if I’m ever going to start my own company […] I feel like I can do this, do a whole new thing and be completely in charge of it, and that was just too exciting for me,” Solomon said.

Solomon’s new studio doesn’t have a name yet — he’s still looking for funding, too. The question about Solomon’s first game is still open to debate. But prodded as to what he meant by trying new things, Solomon responded that he was interested in “something that’s more of a life simulator or simulation-style game.” EA and Maxis might be sweating at the idea of even more competition for Sims 5, which is already facing Paradox’s You are the key to your life and Alex Massé’s Paralives.

“I’m a creative director, but the truth is I’m actually a very in-the-weeds system designer,” said Solomon (whose degree is in computer science). “Even on Midnight Suns, I had some amazing designers, but I ended up designing individual heroes, enemies, and their abilities.”

Solomon was the lead designer for 2012’s XCOM: The Enemy UnknownThe game was praised by many as the best of 2016. He was director of 2016’s sequel, XCOM 2 It was also an important and profitable success. Recently, he was the director Marvel’s Midnight Suns, which reviewed well but was a sales disappointment, according to an interview with the parent company’s CEO.