Transport Fever 3 dev's new deal with Cities Skylines 2 publisher Paradox "will have nothing but positive effects"

Transport Fever 3 developer Urban Games has announced a surprise publishing deal with Paradox Interactive. The studio’s long-awaited city-building game is set to launch in 2026, putting the focus on laying the infrastructure that keeps the world humming along in a truly interconnected fashion. It says this new team-up with Paradox, which most notably published Cities Skylines 2 in October 2023, “is a perfect match and a natural fit, as we both share the same values and commit to a player-first approach.”

Urban Games is quick to establish that Transport Fever 3 “will be realized exactly as envisioned – only strengthened by the additional support and expertise this partnership brings.” It says that the team and that of Paradox Interactive “have agreed on a shared vision for publishing, combining our strengths,” and adds, “The IP continues to remain fully with us, and they have full trust in our creative direction. This partnership is about amplifying Transport Fever 3, not altering it.” Urban Games CEO Basil Weber emphasizes his belief the team-up “will have nothing but positive effects.”

These words are likely designed to settle any potential unease around the move. Paradox Interactive has many successful publishing partnerships under its belt, but Cities Skylines 2 has been a notable rough spot for the studio, sitting at a mixed reception since launch. Paradox split with developer Colossal Order in November 2025, handing CS2 over to internal team Iceflake Studios, which has since been working on fresh updates and the launch of new DLC. To its credit, the game seems to be gradually making a recovery, but Urban Games is keen to reassure that it is maintaining full control of Transport Fever 3 with this new deal.

“From the very beginning, the interests of the Transport Fever community have been at the heart of this decision,” Urban Games stresses. “This collaboration allows us to enhance what’s already planned, and together, we will continue on the path we have set out for Transport Fever 3 and deliver the greatest possible value to players and modders, both new and veterans.

“We remain fully committed to all promises we’ve made to the community, and the route of Transport Fever 3 continues as planned,” Urban Games concludes, saying the game “is now on an even stronger track to reach its full potential when it launches later this year.” The developer has been conducting closed beta tests, and is already inviting modders to join an early access program to enable the propagation of a wide range of mods from day one.

That much should help to alleviate any fears around the move, although comments on the announcement already make mention of the number of Paradox Interactive games that employ a long-term DLC model to support development, expressing fears of a similar method for TF3. This typically hasn’t been the approach used by Urban Games, however, so I wouldn’t immediately expect it here. I have reached out to the team to enquire about its current post-launch plans, and will update this story with any response.

“Transport Fever 3 is a perfect fit for the Paradox portfolio and we’re incredibly impressed by what Urban Games has created,” Paradox CBO Mattias Rengstedt adds. “The game matches every aspect of what we’re looking for in a new title, offering a deep and endless experience that we think players will love. We’re excited to take this important step for the series together with Urban Games and ship, haul, fly, and truck Transport Fever 3 across the world.”