Paradox CEO: Canceling 'Life By You' was a mistake

Paradox Interactive's CEO admitted that they made incorrect decisions, which was underscored by the cancellation of Life by You. Read on to learn more about the CEO’s statement and the setbacks it encountered.

Paradox Interactive CEO Acknowledges Errors Amidst SetbacksWester Admits Incorrect Decisions

Distinguished Interactive found itself in a complex situation, marked by noteworthy and challenges this year. Its esteemed CEO, Fredrik Wester, forthrightly admitted that they made some wrong decisions at the company’s latest financial earnings report on July 25 in light of Life by You’s cancellation.

Wester revealed that despite the company’s overall impressive financial performance due to their existing games, like the Crusader Kings and Europa Universalis, it encountered significant challenges. "It is clear that we have made the wrong calls in several projects, especially outside of our core," he said. "Our core business has performed exceptionally well, but on the other hand, we made the difficult decision to cancel the release of Life by You."

Cancellation of Life by You and Other Challenges

The development of its now-axed life simulation game Life by You, a potential competitor of Sims, marked Paradox's breakaway from its standard formula of releasing grand strategy games. Though the game showed promise and the company already invested almost $20 million in its development, they ultimately canceled its release last June 17. Wester stated that the game did not "meet our expectations."

Beyond this game development fiasco, Paradox Interactive also faced challenges from their latest releases. The highly anticipated Cities: Skylines 2 was bogged down by performance issues, and Prison Architect 2 also suffered from repeated delays despite passing certification on all platforms. These challenges exacerbated the difficulties Paradox faced this year, highlighting the need to reassess their game development strategies.

Reflecting on the second quarter’s outcome, Wester highlighted the company’s resilience through their core games such as Crusader Kings and Stellaris. "Amid the well-deserved self-criticism, it is worth reminding ourselves that we have solid footing because the foundation of our business is doing well." By admitting their mistake and focusing on its core games, Paradox Interactive aims to reaffirm its commitment to delivering fun and quality games for their fans.