EA (Electronic Arts) is reportedly laying off between 300 and 400 staff worldwide, as it pursues “long-term strategic priorities” and “future growth.” Sources speaking to Bloomberg believe around 100 staff have been laid off at Respawn Entertainment, and that an early-in-development Titanfall spin-off – an extraction shooter – has been cancelled.
In a public statement, the Respawn team has confirmed “targeted team adjustments” have taken place, with these directly impacting folks working on Apex Legends, and the next game in the Star Wars Jedi franchise. The studio will also “step away from two early-stage incubation projects,” one of which is believed to be the Titanfall spin-off.
Per this post, which does not mention the exact numbers of departing staff, the teams behind Apex Legends and Star Wars Jedi will continue working on new adventures through these “difficult changes.”
“Looking ahead, our commitment to player-first experiences remains unchanged,” Respawn said. “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 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.”
Read: EA confirms Star Wars Jedi 3 will be Cal Kestis’ final chapter
“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.”
The tone of the message is strangely positive, despite the depth of layoffs reported. The reality is change will impact the teams of Apex Legends and Star Wars Jedi significantly, likely forcing a reshape of development plans and timelines.
The Star Wars Jedi sequel, for example, has been in development for two years. With a reduced team, it feels highly unlikely we’ll see formal word of this game soon, or that it will release within a timeframe similar to its predecessor. (There was four years between Fallen Order and Survivor.)
Elsewhere, other teams at EA are likely to be significantly depleted by these sweeping layoffs. Exact changes have not been detailed just yet, but we’re likely to see the impact of this decision in the coming months.
Notably, EA reported significant underperformance for its biggest games – EA Sports FC 25 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard – in its last financial report, but it did expect growth heading into its next financial year.
