First-person shooter game Star Wars unnamed of Respawnfirst confirmed by EA in January 2022, was said to have been canceled due to the publisher wanting to stay away from cooperative titles, while also laying off a series of employees.
The news was shared via a text sent to staff by EA president of entertainment Laura Miele:
“It’s always difficult to abandon a project, and this decision does not reflect the talent, perseverance, or passion the team has for the game. Bringing fans sequels to iconic series is the definition of blockbuster storytelling and the right place to focus..”
According to IGN, this Star Wars game development team will be moving on to other projects including Apex Legends, Iron Man, Black Panther and the third installment in the Star Wars: Jedi series.
The news comes as EA confirmed more cuts will be made. Earlier today, EA announced it would lay off about 670 people. An email from CEO Andrew Wilson to employees confirmed that the layoffs will be “largely complete by early next quarter.”
Mass layoffs have occurred continuously at game studios over the past year and a half, with about 10,000 developers losing their jobs in 2023. In just the first two months of 2024, the number of layoffs has reached more than 8,000, nearly touching last year’s total. Even in the last week, a large number of developers lost their jobs due to layoffs at Supermassive, Playstation and Deck Nine. This worrying trend has both developers and gamers concerned about the future of beloved games and studios.
With the layoffs of 670 people, EA has cut about 5% of its global headcount. EA also announced that it will discontinue certain games to focus on its most successful products. Affected employees will be moved to new roles and projects where possible. When combined with PlayStation’s mass layoffs that GameHub reported on yesterday, more than a thousand developers have lost their jobs this week alone.
In addition to the Star Wars-themed shooting game mentioned above, two mobile games, F1 Mobile Racing and MLB Tap Sports, were also announced to be canceled. Wilson’s statement discussed increased focus on the IPs it owns, sports and fosters large online communities, as well as EA’s plans to phase out collaborative IPs in the future. EA currently has a number of Marvel and Star Wars collaborations still in development, such as the upcoming Black Panther and a new Jedi title.
Many industry experts attribute the mass layoffs to overzealous hiring and spending during the COVID-19 pandemic, as many companies have become accustomed to increased consumer spending. However, many developers are now asserting that the pandemic cannot fully explain what is happening in the industry. Other potential factors include the huge costs involved in game development, disorganized decision-making, and a general lack of planning for the ups and downs of the industry. While many companies continue to struggle with costs, some studios continue to expand, such as Baldur’s Gate, which is looking for resumes from laid-off developers.
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