EA has announced another round of layoffs at the company and the staff reduction has caused Respawn to prioritize one Star Wars title over others.
Respawn has been given the reigns when it comes to Star Wars video games, thanks to its success with the Star Wars: Jedi franchise.
Through two installments, the series has garnered critic and fan praise, along with millions of copies sold. However, that doesn’t mean that Respawn has been spared from EA’s newest round of layoffs amid reorganization.
The company announced a major change on February 28, 2024, releasing 670 employees, or 5% of its workforce. Because of the reduction, and a “move away from development of future licensed IP that we do not believe will be successful in our changing industry,” the company is sunsetting some titles currently in development, according to EA CEO Andrew Wilson.
In-development Star Wars game shelved by EA
One of the titles reportedly sunset due to the change was the Star Wars FPS action game that Respawn had been working on, according to an announcement from EA Entertainment president Laura Miele.
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“Giving fans the next installments of the iconic franchises they want is the definition of blockbuster storytelling and the right place to focus,” Miele said.
That seems to mean that Respawn will now be shifting its focus to the third installment of the Star Wars: Jedi franchise and Battlefield.
The shelved FPS game was reportedly supposed to be based on The Mandalorian and feature planet-hopping bounty hunting. EA was posting jobs for the project as recently as last week, but it seems like the wider EA apparatus has decided to not move forward with the title.
The game now joins a long list of Star Wars video games that have never been released after either being teased, or stuck in development.
