Respawn's Star Wars first person shooter game reportedly canceled

Who else is getting really tired of projects getting announced and then canceled? The latest isn't a movie, but it is still a sour spot for Star Wars video game fans.

According to IGN, Respawn's Star Wars first-person shooter (FPS) game is reportedly canceled. This is because of a major shakeup with EA, where roughly 5% of their workforce is losing their jobs. 670 people are being fired. As part of this reveal, EA's CEO Andrew Wilson released a series of announcements, including the cancellation of the FPS featuring a Mandalorian character was one of the casualties. Rumors of this game just came out only a few weeks ago. IGN notes that these layoffs continue in the midst of a rocky time with the video game industry, as almost 1/3 of game developers were hit with job loss in 2023.

It's also important to note that the third Star Wars Jedi game is still in the works and not impacted by these layoffs. As also noted in IGN's article, it's unknown now if the Star Wars strategy game from EA is still in the works. EA has a history with Disney and Marvel, and they said in the article that they will continue projects with these companies despite wanting to own their own IPs. It's why, along with Jedi, other unaffected games include upcoming games for Iron Man and Black Panther.

EA Entertainment president Laura Miele said about the cuts and cancellation, "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."

While it's the nature of the industry, it's frustrating to see this game get canned. With the success of The Mandalorian, it would have been fun to get a game focused on a similar character to Din Djarin. The human element is always heartwrenching, knowing hard-working artists are losing their jobs. Hopefully, these people can quickly find work and get on their feet again.