Midsummer Studios Shuts Down After Ambitious AI-Assisted Game Project

Former XCOM designer Jake Solomon shares footage of unreleased title 'Burbank' before studio closure

Apr. 13, 2026 at 1:42am

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A highly detailed, glowing 3D illustration of a futuristic, AI-powered character model with intricate, illuminated cybernetic elements, hinting at the advanced technology behind the unreleased game 'Burbank'.The unreleased Midsummer Studios game 'Burbank' promised to blend human artistry with AI-assisted character performances, before the studio's unexpected closure.Burbank Today

Midsummer Studios, a promising indie game studio co-founded by former XCOM designer Jake Solomon, has announced its closure after a brief but ambitious run. Despite securing $6 million in funding, the studio is shutting down, with Solomon sharing pre-alpha footage of an unreleased project called 'Burbank' that utilized AI-assisted character performances alongside human-created visuals.

Why it matters

The closure of Midsummer Studios highlights the ongoing tensions in the games industry around the role of AI in creative development, as well as the challenges faced by even well-funded indie studios in bringing ambitious projects to fruition.

The details

In a social media post, Solomon expressed pride in both the studio's creation and the game they produced, describing Burbank as a personal dream realized by the team. He revealed that the game's character performances were generated using artificial intelligence, which he framed as a memory, reasoning, and speech tool that enables creators to bring any character into any story they write. However, Solomon also clarified that all of the visual art was created by human artists, and the team had no interest in replacing developers with AI.

  • Midsummer Studios was established in 2024.
  • The studio secured $6 million in funding in 2024, led by Transcend Fund.
  • Midsummer Studios announced its closure in April 2026.

The players

Jake Solomon

Co-founder of Midsummer Studios and former lead designer of the XCOM strategy game series.

Will Miller

Co-founder of Midsummer Studios and former lead designer at Firaxis Games.

Nelsie Birch

Co-founder of Midsummer Studios and veteran in finance and operations.

Transcend Fund

The venture capital firm that led Midsummer Studios' $6 million funding round.

Burbank

The unreleased game project from Midsummer Studios that utilized AI-assisted character performances.

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What they’re saying

“I'm proud of both the studio we created and the game we produced. This was a personal dream realized by our team.”

— Jake Solomon, Co-founder, Midsummer Studios

“All of the visual art was created by human artists, and we had no interest in replacing developers with AI.”

— Jake Solomon, Co-founder, Midsummer Studios

What’s next

The unreleased game 'Burbank' remains in pre-alpha, and it's unclear if the project will ever see the light of day following Midsummer Studios' closure.

The takeaway

The shutdown of Midsummer Studios, despite substantial funding and a talented team, underscores the challenges faced by even well-resourced indie studios in the games industry. It also highlights the ongoing debate around the role of AI in creative development, and how studios can balance technological advancements with the value of human artistry.