Maxis is hiring for a new live service game, but it's not The Sims

A Maxis listing has gone out for a new creative director as the studio looks to develop a game based on a "new IP".

A new job advert, spotted by PC Gamer, calls for a creative director to "drive the creative vision of future products developed in our Austin studio." The ad is seeking someone with "creative and leadership experience in PC products, mobile titles and live service."

They're seeking someone with "10+ years industry experience working in the field of game design on AAA titles" for this title, as well as "5+ years of experience leading game teams and defining game design and narrative direction."

What this means, then, is that Maxis is likely looking to develop a PC and mobile live-service title, which will fall outside of their popular series The Sims. Since 2004, Maxis has released only three games that weren't connected to The Sims: Spore, Darkspore, and SimCity. There's no further hints about what they might be working towards here, or even which genre the game will fit within.

As PC Gamer points out, this job posting is also the first mention of Maxis having a studio based in Austin, Texas - The Sims is developed in California. They've been busy, too, as The Sims recently received a new look.