Jake Solomon, known for directing XCOM 2 and Marvel’s Midnight Suns, has announced the closure of his studio, Midsummer Studios. The studio, founded in 2024 to reinvent the life sim genre, leaves its project Burbank unreleased. Solomon shared pre-alpha footage of the game, which incorporates AI for character interactions.
Jake Solomon announced on February 19, 2026, via X (formerly Twitter) that Midsummer Studios, which he founded in 2024, is closing down. The studio aimed to "reinvent the life sim genre," as stated in a press release from its launch. Solomon expressed pride in the team's work, writing, "We built a studio, we made a game, and I’m really proud of both. Before we close the doors at Midsummer Studios I’d like to share a glimpse of Burbank, the game we poured our hearts into. It’s like ‘Life Sims + The Truman Show,’ but it’s more than that. I believe people are storytellers, and I want them to share whatever stories and characters they can dream up. Burbank let’s you do that."
Burbank featured an ambitious system allowing players to customize television shows and write their own stories. Solomon explained in a follow-up post that the game's characters used AI for memory, reasoning, and speech to enable flexible creation, while all art was produced by the studio's artists. He emphasized, "We had no interest in replacing any developers with AI." The footage shared was pre-alpha, and Solomon noted positive playtesting experiences: "We have moments playing this game where characters come alive in a way we’ve never experienced. And for an old game developer like me that’s special... this game was a dream of mine, our team made it come true, so watch and dream with us."
Midsummer Studios had 11 employees in 2024, including co-founder Will Miller from Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth and Grant Rodiek from the Sims franchise, with plans to hire two more. Solomon did not disclose reasons for the closure, amid broader industry challenges like studio shutdowns; Sony announced the closure of Bluepoint Games on the same day. The shutdown likely affects all employees, leaving Burbank canceled.