Respawn Cancels Multiplayer FPS Project Quietly

Respawn Entertainment, the developer behind the popular game Apex Legends, has announced the cancellation of an unannounced incubation project this week. This decision led to the layoff of an unspecified number of employees who were involved in the project. The news was initially reported by Insider Gaming, citing a LinkedIn post from a former production coordinator, which has since been removed. The post revealed that the individual was part of the canceled project for the past year and is now seeking new employment opportunities within the gaming industry.

IGN has independently verified the cancellation of this unannounced project, which was a multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS). This project was developed by a team that previously worked on a Star Wars FPS at Respawn, which was also canceled last year. According to IGN's sources, the layoffs associated with this recent cancellation were described as "small," though the exact number of affected individuals remains undisclosed. Additionally, IGN has identified at least one person linked to the project who stated on LinkedIn that their departure was voluntary.

This move is part of a broader pattern of project cancellations, layoffs, and restructuring within Electronic Arts (EA), which began in 2023. That year saw the elimination of 50 jobs at BioWare and an unknown number at Codemasters. The trend continued almost a year ago when EA laid off 670 employees across the company and terminated several projects, including the Star Wars FPS mentioned earlier. As part of these cuts, approximately two dozen Respawn employees lost their jobs. Since then, EA has restructured BioWare, reallocating developers to other internal projects and laying off an additional unspecified number of key staff members.

IGN has reached out to Electronic Arts for further comment on these developments.