SimCity studio Maxis shuts down

Maxis Emeryville, the studio behind the SimCity series and Spore, has been shut down after nearly 30 years of making games.

Parent Electronic Arts confirmed the closure in a statement to Kotaku, clarifying that the Maxis brand will still be used for some of its games.

"Today we are consolidating Maxis IP development to our studios in Redwood Shores, Salt Lake City, Helsinki and Melbourne locations as we close our Emeryville location," the publisher said. "Maxis continues to support and develop new experiences for current Sims and SimCity players, while expanding our franchises to new platforms and developing new cross-platform IP."

All Maxis Emeryville employees have been "given opportunities to explore other positions within the Maxis studios and throughout EA", while separation packages and career assistance are being arranged for those who choose to leave the company.

Word of trouble at Maxis first emerged when Maxis designer Guillaume Pierre tweeted, mourning the studio.

Well it was a fun 12 years, but it's time to turn off the lights and put the key under the door. #RIPMaxisEmeryville

— Guillaume Pierre (@DesignGuillaume) March 4, 2015