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Civilization V lead designer Jon Shafer joins Paradox Interactive

The Swedish studio already has Shafer, who helped design two Civilization IV expansions before taking the lead on the sequel, working on a mystery project.

Chris Kerr, News Editor

May 12, 2017

1 Min Read
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Civilization V lead designer Jon Shafer has joined strategy specialist Paradox Interactive. The Swedish studio already has Shafer, who helped design two Civilization IV expansions before taking the lead on the sequel, working on a mystery project as part of the grand strategy dev team.

Paradox has developed something of a name for itself in the recent years thanks to the critical and commercial success of titles like Cities: Skylines, Pillars of Eternity, and Stellaris. It's hoped Shafer's considerable design expertise will allow the company to make more inroads into the strategy market.

"Adding a new designer to our studio is always a significant challenge. Our fans have very high expectations for us based on the games they play -- deep, complex titles with long-lasting, replayable experiences," said Johan Andersson, Paradox's EVP of creative direction

"I’ve known Jon for 15 years now, and I’m excited to have him join us. Jon has the expertise to create more of those experiences, and he shares our core design philosophies; we can’'t wait to share his games with our fans."

As well as working with Paradox, Shafer will also continue developing his personal project, At the Gates, a Kickstarter-funded strategy effort that amassed over $100,000 in pledges.

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About the Author

Chris Kerr

News Editor, GameDeveloper.com

Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.

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