Players can also plop building lots individually. To create building lots, players can zone an area of the map in which, upon confirmation, individual building lots will be created by the game. The social class chosen for a lot will not be modified by the simulation. Before designating building lots, players are required to select which class of residents may live there. Residential lots are furthermore distinguished by four social classes: unskilled workers, skilled workers, executives, and elites. The game offers the designation of three types of building lots: residential, commercial and industrial, each of which can have a different density. A patch was released on the same day allowing players to use buses in single-player mode, as they had previously only been available in multiplayer mode.

On JanuMonte Cristo announced due to a low subscription rate they would be closing the multiplayer online service, and they did so on March 8, 2010. As a member of a planet, players were able to build their cities in a virtual world populated by other subscribers, trade resources such as electricity with other players, work together to create structures such as the Eiffel Tower, and visit other cities as an avatar and host events. Cities XL allowed players an option to play on a persistent online virtual community known as a planet which required a monthly subscription fee.

Cities xl demo