Players are now less “accepting” that games will be fixed, say Paradox, after “underestimating” the reaction to Cities: Skylines 2’s performance woes

Prison Architect 2, the jail management simulator from Paradox Interactive, was delayed indefinitely in August due to notable performance issues and design challenges. This decision followed the separation of the original developers, Double Eleven, from the project a few months prior.

During Paradox’s Media Day, deputy CEO Mattias Lilja and chief creative officer Henrik Fåhraeus shared more insights into the delay. Lilja mentioned that players have higher expectations and less patience for developers to fix issues, leading to the decision to postpone the release. Fåhraeus highlighted the importance of giving actual players early access to the game for feedback, not just relying on testers.

Lilja explained that the main challenges for the new developers, Kokku, are technical rather than design-related. They are striving to ensure a stable and high-quality release for Prison Architect 2. The decision to delay the game also considers players’ decreasing tolerance for imperfections, especially in early access titles.

Referencing past experiences like the launch of Cities: Skylines 2, where performance issues impacted player perception, Lilja emphasized the need for better communication with players and early feedback gathering. Fåhraeus acknowledged that involving players in testing processes can help identify issues and improve the overall player experience.

While expanding in-house testing and QA teams could be beneficial, Fåhraeus noted that player feedback plays a crucial role in understanding the user experience and addressing gameplay concerns. Paradox aims to enhance their openness with players and utilize various tools, such as community blogs, beta tests, and user research, to ensure a smoother game release in the future.