Amid the Electronic Art layoffs, Respawn has announced the cancellation of their Star Wars first-person-shooter. The decision comes from the company’s examination of the player community, and their interests apparently lying more in Jedi and Respawn’s brands.
According to EA president Laura Miele, Respawn’s primary focus will now be new projects based on “owned brands,” while providing ongoing 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,” said Miele. “Giving fans the next installments of the iconic franchises they want is the definition of blockbuster storytelling and the right place to focus.”
The Star Wars FPS project was led by Respawn’s Peter Hirschmann, a former VP of LucasArts Product Development. Not much else was known about the now-canceled title, but I suppose we will never get those answers.
There wasn’t mention of the Star Wars strategy game that was also announced alongside the FPS project. It’s produced by Respawn, but in development at Bit Reactor.
Other Electronic Arts projects have been impacted along with this change. In particular, Ridgeline Games has been shut down, transferring its team members to Ripple Effect. The company’s co-founder, Marcus Lehto (co-creator of Halo), recently left the EA studio, but now Criterion will continue on the project.
Before the shutdown, Ridgeline was working on a single-player experience for Battlefield. Although its current status looks grim, Criterion, DICE, and Ripple Effect will collaborate together for the next Battlefield project.
The publisher’s future plans have also affected multiple EA mobile titles. Entries such as Kim Kardashian Hollywood, Tap Sports Baseball, F1 Mobile, and Lord of the Rings have been shut down. However, projects like The Sims and Madden NFL will carry on as the company tries to grow its mobile platform.
Like Respawn, Electronic Arts seeks to better strategize its existing mobile games. As per the message from CEO Andrew Wilson, EA’s new plan will be fully implemented in the early stages of the next quarter.
The gaming industry has certainly taken a turn for the worse with all the layoffs and canceled projects. It’s saddening to see so much loss, especially since the year just started.
