With Electronic Arts joining an ever-growing list of companies being hit with layoffs and announcing 5% reduction in its workforce, the full ramifications of how that will affect individual projects and studios within the company are also being clearer.
In a statement published by EA’s president of entertainment and technology Laura Miele, it has been announced that Respawn Entertainment will be affected by EA’s restructuring plans. More specifically, the single player Star Wars FPS that the studio was confirmed to be working on in 2022 has been cancelled. Instead, EA says the studio will refocus its efforts on the Star Wars Jedi series and Apex Legends.
“Respawn’s unique ability to connect with players and create exceptional game experiences is unrivaled in entertainment,” Miele wrote in her statement. “As we’ve looked at Respawn’s portfolio over the last few months, what’s clear is the games our players are most excited about are Jedi and Respawn’s rich library of owned brands. Knowing this, we have decided to pivot away from early development on a Star Wars FPS Action game to focus our efforts on new projects based on our owned brands while providing support for existing games. It’s always hard to walk away from a project, and this decision is not a reflection of the team’s talent, tenacity, or passion they have for the game. Giving fans the next installments of the iconic franchises they want is the definition of blockbuster storytelling and the right place to focus.”
Job listings published by Respawn had indicated that its single player Star Wars FPS would have been inspired by the Star Wars: Dark Forces titles. A more recent report claimed that it would see players playing as Mandalorian bounty hunter.
As for Star Wars Jedi, Cameron Monaghan – the actor who portrays series protagonist Cal Kestis – confirmed last September that a third instalment was in development, though EA has yet to officially announce it. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Survivor director Stig Asmussen left Respawn last year.
Amidst EA’s layoffs, Ridgeline Games, which was established in 2021 to work on single player Battlefield campaigns, has been shut down entirely.