EA Cancels Titanfall Game As Major Round Of Layoffs Guts Respawn

The video game industry is banking on big releases, such as the juggernaut that is Grand Theft Auto VI alongside the Nintendo Switch 2, to kickstart a turnaround. However, until both hit the market and can have the effect industry analysts are hoping for, it looks as if studio closures and job losses will continue unabated. The latest company to make cuts to projects and its workforce is one of the biggest: Electronic Arts.

Up to 400 people from across EA have reportedly been affected, with studio Respawn taking the biggest hit as it lost 100 members of its team. In a statement released on social media platform X, Respawn says that “these decisions aren't easy, and we are deeply grateful to every teammate affected - their creativity and contributions have helped build Respawn into what it is today.”


The casualties didn’t end in the loss of staff, either. Two projects that were in the very early stages of development have been cancelled, with one being a new entry in the Titanfall universe. While fans of the series have long waited for a follow up to the second game, it’s likely that their excitement for this unreleased iteration would’ve been dampened by the fact that it was being planned as an extraction shooter. It’s a genre that has already been heavily explored by other titles and seems to be wearing thin among gamers.

Fans of Apex Legends will probably feel a bit worried seeing the studio get such a large reduction in team members. However, the company is reassuring players that it will continue to work on delivering new content for the online, live service shooter. While the game isn’t as large as some of the other titles in this space, it likely still has a big enough audience that it’s safe for now.

It has been a tough last two years for those who work in game development. Hopefully GTA VI and the Switch 2 deliver in spades so that the industry stops hemorrhaging talent.