The highly-anticipated Sims competitor, Life by You by Paradox Interactive, has been cancelled after half a decade of development, as the company announced on its forums. This announcement follows the indefinite delay for the game’s early access release on Steam in May, which the company already delayed twice back in September 2023 and March 2024.
According to Mattias Lilja, Deputy CEO of Paradox Interactive, Life by You was a project heading for destined failure after internal reviews as the game failed to meet expectations set by their own and the fans. After further consideration, the team decided the road ahead was too uncertain and decided it was best to cancel the long-term project.
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Matthias Lilja’s Testament on Life by You’s Cancellation
In his own words, “A few weeks back, we decided to hold off on an Early Access release in order to re-evaluate Life by You, as we still felt that the game was lacking in some key areas. Though a time extension was an option, once we took that pause to get a wider view of the game, it became clear to us that the road leading to a release that we felt confident about was far too long and uncertain.”
Lilja continued: “This is not to say the game has not shown any promising qualities; Life by You had a number of strengths and the hard work of a dedicated team that went into realising them. However, when we come to a point where we believe that more time will not get us close enough to a version we would be satisfied with, then we believe it is better to stop.”
“This is obviously tough and disappointing for everyone who poured their time and enthusiasm into this project, especially when our decision comes so late in the process.”
Life by You’s Cancellation Is a Clear Failure
Cancelling such a much-anticipated project is a huge gamble, and Paradox Interactive stated they are willing to bear the risks as Lilja described the move as a “Clear Failure”. According to the CEO, they were too preoccupied with focusing on the details rather than the big picture in the first two early access delays. As for the indefinite delay in May, they wanted to re-evaluate the entire project instead of setting up new goals targeting incremental improvements.
![Sims Competitor Life by You Cancelled After Paradox Deemed It a Clear Failure (1)](https://player.me/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Life-by-You.png)
However, it transpired to the reality of the situation, and the team decided it was “better to stop” rather than continue investing in the project, which it found “lacking in some key areas.” While Lilja did not explicitly explain Life by You’s shortcomings, he did reiterate that Life by You had a “number of strengths” and showed “promising qualities”.
Although the words mean little with the cancellation of the game, the highly customisable and immersive open-world life simulation experience it once promised did give hope to many life sim enthusiasts for a game that may rival EA’s The Sims series.
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Paradox Interactive Needs to Rebuild Its Reputation After Repeated Failings
Lastly, the cancellation of Life by You marks another public failure for Paradox Interactive, as many could still not forgive the company for its lacklustre launch of Cities Skylines 2 and its initial first piece of DLC, Beach Properties, which sparked negative outcry due to its lack of content and outrageous pricing.
While Paradox eventually listened and made the DLC free for fans, it does not paint a reassuring picture for fans moving forward, especially with this sudden cancellation of a half-decade-long project. As for where Paradox Interactive goes from here, follow our Twitter page and stay tuned for immediate updates on a company seeking to regain trust once more.