Respawn Shelves Two Games, Faces Layoffs Affecting 100 Staffers

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Summary

  • Respawn Entertainment has canceled two early-stage projects.
  • The move reportedly resulted in layoffs impacting around 100 employees.
  • Respawn is still working on the Star Wars Jedi: Survivor sequel and Apex Legends, in addition to supporting Bit Reactor’s work on Star Wars: Zero Company.

Due to a recent decision, Respawn Entertainment has terminated two ongoing projects and let go some employees. This information about one of the project cancellations was actually revealed back in the early spring.

Back in March 2025, a past employee of Respawn shared on LinkedIn that the company had scrapped an unpublicized multiplayer First-Person Shooter (FPS) game. It appears this project was in its initial stages as far back as mid-2024, based on the studio’s history of job listings.

On April 29th, Respawn Entertainment announced the cancellation of two projects that were still in their early stages. According to IGN, one of these canceled games was a multiplayer FPS title. This decision has reportedly led to layoffs affecting approximately 100 employees, such as QA testers, developers, and publishing professionals. Based on LinkedIn data, this represents around 12% of Respawn Entertainment’s workforce responsible for developing “Apex Legends.

Respawn’s Statement on Its Latest Game Cancellations

As a passionate fan, I’d rephrase it this way: “Recently, the company owned by EA referred to these changes as ‘strategic team realignments’, affecting teams working on games like Apex Legends and Star Wars Jedi. It’s not an easy choice, and we express our heartfelt appreciation to every team member impacted. Some of the affected employees might find new roles within EA, while those who don’t will receive significant assistance. According to reports by IGN, some staffers have already been transitioned to EA Motive, where they’ll contribute to their upcoming Iron Man project. In light of these adjustments, Daniel Suarez, Respawn’s SVP and head of operations, is being promoted to General Manager, a position previously held by studio founder Vince Zampella. However, Zampella will still supervise both Respawn and the Battlefield franchise, with Suarez now reporting directly to him.

These decisions aren’t easy, and we are deeply grateful to every teammate affected.

This recent job cuts announcement for the Apex Legends team comes about a year and a half since similar layoffs occurred in March 2024, described as part of Electronic Arts’ (EA) broader cost-saving measures aimed at reducing their workforce by approximately 5%. Impacting around 670 employees, this decision was made to streamline operations. Interestingly, just a month before, Respawn Entertainment decided to shelve its Star Wars first-person shooter project, originally announced in January 2022.

Respawn Is Still Working on At Least 3 Games

After their recent shift in priorities, Respawn Entertainment has several upcoming projects. One of these is the sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, officially announced back in September 2023. Another project they’re working on is none other than Apex Legends, one of Electronic Arts’ top-tier properties. Lastly, Respawn is contributing to the development of Bit Reactor’s new Star Wars strategy game, which was recently unveiled as Star Wars: Zero Company.

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2025-04-29 22:35