Just days after the project was canceled byEA,Star Warsfans are petitioning for the studio to revive the canned first-person shooter that was in development atApex Legendsstudio,Respawn Entertainment.
While still in the early development stages, the upcoming Star Wars shooter was rumored to revolve around a Mandalorian bounty hunter. But, as reported byInsiderGaming, it was unclear which Mandalorian character the game would focus on. Sources told industry insider Tom Henderson that the game was set during a time when the Galactic Empire dominated the galaxy. It was also rumored that the now-canceled title would see players capture bounties, dead or alive, for lucrative rewards.
Star Wars: Dark Forces Reminded Me How Cool Old Level Design Was
The charm of a sandbox filled with secrets to uncover.
As February came to a close, EAcontinued a worrying trend of job layoffsby announcing that 5% of its workforce would be losing their jobs. This meant approximately 670 workers across the studios would be laid off. As reported byIGN, EA’s CEO Andrew Wilson told staff that “players' needs and motivations have changed significantly.”
After announcing that EA would be “sunsetting games and moving away from development of future licensed IP that [they] do not believe will be successful in our changing industry,” Wilson then confirmed to staff that approximately 5% of EA’s workforce would be affected by the changes.
Part of these cuts meant that an upcoming first-person shooter by Respawn Entertainment, which was heavily rumored to be a Mandalorian game, was no longer in development. As you’re able to imagine, Star Wars fans haven’t taken too kindly to this news. Especially after the huge success of Respawn’s previous Star Wars games, Fallen Order and Survivor.
Fans Want Respawn’s Mandalorian Game Brought Back To Life
Over on the Star Wars Squadrons subreddit, a post byPeculiar_Protestersaid, “Bring back the Mandalorian video game! Please sign the petition.” The user then linked to aChange.org petitiontitled, “Revive the development of the Mandalorian video game by Respawn.”
“As a fan of the Star Wars universe, I am deeply saddened by the discontinuation of the Mandalorian video game that was being developed by Respawn. This game promised an immersive exploration into a beloved clan within the Star Wars universe,” the creator of the Change.org petition, Sam Stowe, said. Sam also noted the strong interest in Disney Plus' hit TV show, The Mandalorian, which garnered over 33 million viewers in its very first season. While it’s not certain that this interest would translate into a video game, it’s a valid point nonetheless.
At the time of writing this article, the petition only has 231 signatures, with its next goal set for 500. Unfortunately, even if the petition skyrockets into the thousands, it’s unlikely to grab the attention of EA, especially in these uncertain times.
The Video Game Industry Is In Dark Times
Pre-COVID-19 pandemic, I’d be all for a petition to revive a recently canned game. But, in a time where as many as 8,000 people have been laid off in just 2 months, and the use of AI is on the rise, a simple petition feels like a lost cause.
As reported byKotaku, recent layoffs have impacted Behaviour Interactive, Riot Games, People Can Fly, Microsoft, Supermassive Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and so many more. These developers and publishers are behind some of the biggest titles in gaming, including Dead By Daylight, League of Legends, Until Dawn, and more.
Sony Interactive Entertainment recently laid off around 900 people andeven closed an entire studio based in London. Despite having some of the most successful games of all time, such as The Last Of Us, Uncharted, and Spider-Man, the studios behind these PlayStation exclusive titles were also impacted, such as Naughty Dog and Insomniac Games.
After EA announced layoffs within its company, CEO Andrew Wilson also made the worrying announcement that 60% of development processes could be impacted by generative AI, as per a recent Morgan Stanley conference (viaTechRaptor). With AI on the rise and layoffs continuing, the gaming industry is in its darkest period to date.
Starfield’s Latest Update Might Finally Make Me Give It Another Shot
400+ fixes and quality-of-life improvements? Maybe it’s time I revisit Bethesda’s latest RPG.
