In a surprising turn for the PC gaming industry, veteran designer Jake Solomon has announced the closure of his independent studio, Midsummer Studios. Alongside the news, Solomon shared the first—and now only—public gameplay footage of Burbank, a life simulation project described as “Life Sims meets The Truman Show.”
The announcement came via social media, where Solomon expressed pride in both the team and the game they built. Though the studio is shutting its doors, he wanted fans to see what they had created before the project faded into obscurity.
What Was Burbank?
Burbank was envisioned as a story-driven life simulation game that would blend player creativity with structured dramatic arcs. Unlike traditional sandbox life sims, Solomon aimed to guide players toward richer, character-focused storytelling experiences.
He described the concept as combining life simulation mechanics with the voyeuristic narrative energy of The Truman Show. Players would design characters, place them into dynamic scenarios, and watch stories unfold in surprising, emergent ways.
The brief gameplay reveal—clearly labeled pre-alpha—showed a visually polished environment, though some elements such as placeholder text-to-speech voices signaled that development was still in progress.
From XCOM to Life Simulation
Solomon is best known for his 23-year tenure at Firaxis Games, where he worked on the Civilization franchise and led design on the modern reboot of XCOM 2. His final major title there was Marvel’s Midnight Suns, a critically acclaimed tactical RPG that earned strong reviews but reportedly underperformed commercially.
After departing Firaxis, Solomon pivoted in a new direction. In interviews, he explained that Burbank would lean heavily into player-authored narratives rather than pure sandbox chaos. The goal was to strike a balance between structured storytelling and emergent simulation—something deeper than simply replicating The Sims formula.
AI at the Core of the Experience
One of Burbank’s most ambitious features was its use of generative AI systems. According to Solomon, characters would rely on AI for memory, reasoning, and speech, allowing players to create virtually any type of character and drop them into custom scenarios.
He clarified that while AI powered character behavior and voice systems, the art assets were fully created by human artists. The team had no intention of replacing developers with AI tools.
That said, AI-driven voice generation remains a contentious topic in the gaming industry, especially among professional voice actors. Whether Burbank could have successfully navigated that debate is now a hypothetical question, as the project will not move forward.
Funding Challenges Behind the Closure
Publicly, there were few signs that trouble was brewing at Midsummer. The studio had announced $6 million in initial funding in 2024, backed by venture capital partners and Korean publisher Krafton. As recently as late 2025, filings indicated an additional $600,000 in new investment.
However, in today’s development landscape, those figures may not stretch far—especially for a technically ambitious life sim built around AI-driven systems. The funding environment for mid-sized studios has grown increasingly volatile, and Midsummer appears to be another casualty of tightening investment pipelines.
A Dream That Won’t Ship
In his farewell message, Solomon reflected on moments during development when characters “came alive” in ways he had never seen before—even after decades in game design. For a veteran known for deep tactical systems and player agency, Burbank represented a deeply personal creative shift.
Now, the project joins a growing list of canceled titles in an industry facing rising costs, shifting consumer habits, and investor caution. While Burbank showed promise as a next-generation life sim competitor, it will remain an intriguing “what if” in gaming history.
For fans of Solomon’s previous work—and for those curious about the future of AI-driven storytelling—the brief glimpse of Burbank is both exciting and bittersweet.
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