Summary
- Publisher EA cancels Star Wars FPS in development by Respawn Entertainment amid industry-wide layoffs and cutbacks.
- EA shifting focus to established franchises like Apex Legends and Jedi series, impacting other Respawn projects' future.
- Fans of shooters and Star Wars setting facing disappointments as gaming industry struggles with layoffs and cancellations.
As the gaming industry continues to struggle with a bad year of layoffs and cutbacks, publisher EA has canceled a Star Wars FPS that was in the works at Respawn Entertainment. It's no secret that many publishers and developers are struggling at the moment and this is harming both employees and gamers as devs lose their jobs and games face delays or cancelation. Now this worrying trend is impacting fans of shooters and the Star Wars setting.
As the new year began, those who love the "galaxy far, far away" had lots to look forward to. There's lots to expect from Star Wars games in 2024, with numerous titles across many different studios and genres in the works. Unfortunately, it seems one game can now be crossed off the list, thanks to a decision by EA regarding its subsidiary, Respawn Entertainment.
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Initially reported by IGN, a letter to employees from EA president Laura Miele explained that a Star Wars FPS in early development at Respawn is being canceled. The internal announcement followed the public revelation that EA is engaging in major layoffs, amounting to roughly 5% of its total workforce, and restructuring how the company operates. It appears that EA is looking to focus on established franchises at the moment and will be moving members of the Star Wars FPS team to other Respawn projects like Apex Legends and the next entry in the Jedi series.
No Word On Other Respawn Projects
It's currently not clear how this shakeup will impact some other Respawn titles. While the next Jedi game and Apex Legends appear safe, there was a lot to expect from Respawn in 2024 before this announcement, and fans may be worried some other titles could disappear from the list of planned releases. The developer, for example, was also reportedly working as the publisher on a new Star Wars strategy game. This and other Respawn projects were not mentioned, and their future could be in question.
This news is another example of an ongoing shakeup in the gaming industry that's hurting numerous studios at the moment. Just this week, for example, the developer of Star Citizen was hit with layoffs, and lots of other companies have made similar announcements this year.
Frustratingly for gamers, these cuts in the industry have translated to games being placed on the chopping block. Layoffs at PlayStation have led to the new Twisted Metal game being reportedly canceled, and now EA and Respawn are experiencing the same thing. The news of this latest case should be upsetting for Star Wars fans and concerning for gamers in general who care about the industry.
