Electronic Arts has decided to cancel two early-stage projects at Respawn Entertainment, the studio known for Apex Legends. This move comes alongside hundreds of layoffs affecting Respawn and other parts of EA’s business. The changes reflect a refocus on long-standing franchises like Apex Legends and the Star Wars Jedi series.
Respawn’s announcement revealed it was stepping away from “two early-stage incubation projects” while making “targeted team adjustments” across its flagship titles. One of these shelved projects reportedly included an extraction shooter set in the Titanfall universe, which, according to Bloomberg, was still far from completion.
The impact on personnel is major, with roughly 100 staffers laid off at Respawn and an estimated 200-300 employees affected across other divisions within EA. A company spokesperson explained: “As part of our continued focus on our long-term strategic priorities, we’ve made select changes within our organization that more effectively align teams and allocate resources in service of driving future growth.”
Despite these cuts, Respawn remains committed to ongoing support for Apex Legends content and development work on the upcoming third installment in its Star Wars Jedi series.
The studio expressed gratitude toward those impacted by these tough decisions: “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. We’re offering meaningful support to those impacted, including exploring new opportunities within EA.”
This restructuring follows a challenging period for EA overall. Shares dropped over 16% earlier this year after pre-earnings announcements revealed that titles like FIFA 25 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard had not met expectations. Last year, around 700 layoffs were also seen company-wide as part of broader cost-cutting efforts.
Laura Miele, president of EA Entertainment, emphasized focusing Respawn’s energies on proven successes such as Apex Legends and Jedi following internal reviews.
