This feels awfully familiar doesn’t it? EA announces a Star Wars game and a couple of years later it unfortunately gets cancelled.
Earlier today, EA confirmed that the untitled Star Wars first-person-shooter being developed by Respawn Entertainment, the studio behind Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and Apex Legends, has been cancelled and that EA and Respawn will now focus their efforts on series they own and their already established and successful Star Wars Jedi series, of which a third entry is in development. EA’s president shared the following on the FPS game’s cancellation:
“Respawn’s unique ability to connect with players and create exceptional game experiences is unrivaled in entertainment. As we’ve looked at Respawn’s portfolio over the last few months, what’s clear is the games our players are most excited about are Jedi and Respawn’s rich library of owned brands. Knowing this, we have decided to pivot away from early development on a Star Wars FPS Action game to focus our efforts on new projects based on our owned brands while providing 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. Giving fans the next installments of the iconic franchises they want is the definition of blockbuster storytelling and the right place to focus.” – Laura Miele
The announcement arrives alongside the even more unfortunate news that EA had laid-off nearly seven hundred employees. Insider Gaming added that many developers at Respawn working on the title was understandably shocked by the confirmation of the cancellation, and it’s evident that the decision was quite recent as there are still job listings looking to hire developers for that title online as of today (February 28th). Though according to IGN, many of those who were working on the untitled Star Wars FPS will or have been moved to other projects which include Respawn’s Apex Legends and the Star Wars Jedi: Survivor follow up, along with other upcoming EA titles such as their Iron Man and Black Panther games – there was no news on the Star Wars strategy game being developed by Bit Reactor and Respawn. IGN also added that the move is in part due to EA perceiving a shift in the industry towards live-service games, large online communities, and open-world titles.
It was previously reported that the Star Wars: Dark Forces inspired untitled first-person-shooter would see players control a Mandalorian Bounty Hunter. The game would reportedly have a focus on style and mobility. It was not known if the Mandalorian would be the character of Din Djarin from the hit Disney+ series, The Mandalorian, or if it was an original character created for the game, though I’d personally lean towards the latter.
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