29-04-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Bay Area video game giant lays off hundreds, cancels new ‘Titanfall' game
Electronic Arts has laid off between 300 and 400 employees and canceled a long-rumored game in the 'Titanfall' universe, marking the latest in a string of cutbacks by the Bay Area video game publisher.
The layoffs, confirmed by the Redwood City company Tuesday, include approximately 100 positions at Respawn Entertainment, the EA-owned studio behind the 'Titanfall,' 'Apex Legends' and 'Star Wars Jedi' franchises.
According to people familiar with the decision who spoke with Bloomberg, the canceled project, code-named R7, was an early-stage extraction shooter set in the 'Titanfall' universe.
'As part of our continued focus on our long-term strategic priorities, we've made select changes within our organization that more effectively aligns teams and allocates resources in service of driving future growth,' an EA spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday.
The cuts affected a range of departments, including development, publishing and quality assurance teams at Respawn. Wider layoffs across EA also impacted the company's Experiences division, which includes customer support and marketing roles.
'We are treating our people with care and respect throughout this process, working to minimize impacts by helping affected employees explore new opportunities within the company when possible and providing support during the transition,' the statement said.
Respawn addressed the changes in a social media post, confirming that two early-stage incubation projects have been shelved and that it made 'some targeted team adjustments.'
Despite the cancellations, Respawn said it remains committed to evolving 'Apex Legends' and continuing development on the next installment in the 'Star Wars Jedi' series.
The layoffs come amid broader restructuring at EA, which earlier this year reduced its revenue forecast following disappointing sales of EA Sports FC 25 and downsized its BioWare studio.
'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,' Respawn added. 'We're offering meaningful support to those impacted, including exploring new opportunities within EA.'
