It’s been a sad day for the games industry with the news that EA has let go of almost 700 employees across the company, and amid the shock, Respawn has also shared the abrupt end to the development of its Star Wars FPS title.
The reason for the title being canned was simple, in the end: EA has now decided to focus on its existing properties like the Star Wars Jedi series and ultra-popular ongoing battle royale Apex Legends. This news came from EA Entertainment president Laura Miele alongside the announcement of company-wide layoffs, and was shared by VGC. Fortunately, the team of the staff working on this Star Wars FPS has not been let go.
Since first being announced, this Star Wars FPS was believed to feature Mandalorian characters. Due to this, there was an ever-building expectation among the franchise’s gargantuan fanbase. Now, it’s unclear if we’ll ever see what this vision was. The team working on the Star Wars FPS was led by Peter Hirschmann, who is known for his work on hits like Medal of Honor, Battlefront, and the Force Unleashed series.
Employees who were working on the game will now join teams working on the third installment of Star Wars Jedi, Apex, or other groups within EA, according to one staff member. Miele insisted the move to cancel the project was not “a reflection of the team’s talent, tenacity, or passion,” but instead a result of an internal investigation into what players are most excited about. EA says games like Jedi and Respawn’s library held the most fan sway.
While it’s disappointing to hear this project has been canned, the good news is many of the talented devs will be helping to craft the next chapter in Star Wars Jedi. Ultimately, this means we’ll still be getting our Star Wars fix from Respawn in the coming years.
The Star Wars Jedi trilogy game is expected to eventually arrive around 2027.
