It’s a rare case of ‘heartbreak for those finding themselves suddenly unemployed’ and ‘a bullet being dodged’ – As the Western video game industry continues to struggle, EA has announced that they will be taking an axe to Respawn Entertainment, in doing so cutting numerous jobs and ending development on a purported Titanfall extraction shooter.
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This staffing shake-up was first confirmed by the studio on the morning of April 29th via a statement issued to their official Twitter account.
“At Respawn, bold ideas, creative risks, and passionate storytelling have always defined who we are,” their update began. “That spirit has carried us through incredible highs – and sometimes through difficult changes, too. As we sharpen our focus for the future, we’ve made the decision to step away from two early-stage incubation projects and make some targeted team adjustments across Apex Legends and Star Wars Jedi. These decisions aren’t easy, and we are deeply grateful to every teammate affected — their creativity and contributions have helped build Respawn into what it is today.
“We’re offering meaningful support to those impacted, including exploring new opportunities within EA. Looking ahead, our commitment to player-first experiences remains unchanged. Innovation has always been at the core of Respawn’s identity, and it continues to drive how we build the future – from evolving live experiences to crafting new worlds and stories.
“For Apex Legends, that means not just delivering competitive, innovative seasons – but expanding what Apex can be. While the team will continue to refine gameplay and bring new ideas to upcoming seasons, we’re also investing in what’s next for the franchise – exploring bold experiences that push the boundaries of competitive play while staying true to the spirit of competition, creativity, and integrity that our community expects. Within the Star Wars universe, we’re excited to keep building new stories – with the next chapter of the Star Wars Jedi series aiming to raise the bar again for storytelling and gameplay.
“To everyone who has been part of our journey – past, present, and future – thank you for making Respawn what it is,” the studio ultimately concluded. “We carry your legacy with us into everything we create next.”
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Notably, while Respawn Entertainment did not provide any details as to the nature of the “two early-stage incubation projects” that have been cancelled, Bloomberg‘s Jason Schreir reports that, per his insider sources, one of them, “code-named R7, was an extraction shooter set in the Titanfall universe”, while the other was an unidentified game that had already been “canceled earlier this year”.
A relatively new genre, ‘extraction shooters’ present players with a gameplay loop that revolves around dropping into a given map, looting both the area and their defeated enemies for loot, and successfully reaching an exit point with as much of your haul and health as you can manage to hold on to.
Examples of such titles include the Borderlands , Tom Clancy’s The Division, and Destiny franchises (as well as Bungie’s upcoming Marathon revival.)
According to Schreier, roughly 100 total devs will be let go from Respawn Entertainment, their job cuts coming as part of a larger initiative by EA to eliminate around 300-400 total positions.
Pressed for comment, EA spokesman Justin Higgs said of the layoffs, “As part of our continued focus on our long-term strategic priorities, we’ve made select changes within our organization that more effectively aligns teams and allocates resources in service of driving future growth.”
At current, Respawn and EA have yet to announce either an official title or release date for Cal Kestis’ third Star Wars Jedi outing.
NEXT: Respawn Entertainment Vows To “Take Appropriate Action” To Ensure Health And Safety Following Numerous Claims Of Harassment And Threats Against Employees
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