The gaming industry may give us plenty of enjoyment, but the people doing the work are not always getting what they deserve. For many at EA, it has been a harrowing day. The publisher has announced another wave of layoffs, affecting between 300 to 400 employees as part of an ongoing corporate restructuring effort.
The drastic cuts appear to be tied to declining financial performance, particularly due to reduced revenue from EA Sports FC and the underwhelming reception to Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Around 100 layoffs has reportedly came from Respawn Entertainment, with the others coming across teams under the publisher’s umbrella.
According to Bloomberg, as part of the layoffs, EA and Respawn have also officially canceled an internal incubation project related to the Titanfall universe. It’s starting to feel like a never-ending curse. Despite the series’ reputation as one of the best first-person shooters ever created, with two critically acclaimed entries under its belt, fans have been left waiting in vain for a proper modern follow-up.
The now-cancelled project, which was internally codenamed R7, was reportedly planned as an extraction shooter set in the Titanfall universe. The game was still in the early stages of development and far from any official announcement or release window. Additionally, sources suggest that Respawn also cancelled another incubation project, though it remains unclear whether it was tied to Titanfall or a completely different IP. It’s also unknown whether R7 had any connection to the long-rumoured Titanfall 3.
As of now, Respawn Entertainment is focusing its resources on two main fronts: the next installment in the Star Wars Jedi series—which was conceived as a trilogy from the beginning—and ongoing content updates for Apex Legends. Developers in teams hit by the layoffs have also been moved to support other projects still in active development, including the newly announced Star Wars Zero Company.
