Cities: Skylines 2 was not in great shape when it launched in 2023. The underlying game was quite good but it was plagued with performance problems and missing a number of features, most notably an editor. That sparked a quick backlash on Steam, visible in the "mixed" user rating, but it also kicked off what Colossal Order CEO Mariina Hallikainen described as "a growing tendency of toxicity in our community."
Hallikainen said the level of toxic behaviour that's followed in the wake of Cities: Skylines 2 is "something we have not experienced to this extent before," and it's aimed not just at developers but players as well. That could have a negative impact on the game in the long run, she warned, as it discourages people from interacting with other members of the community: "In the long run, this will really hurt not only the mood and the happiness of community members but also discourage creativity and modding, something we would be very sad to see."
