Respawn cancels unannounced FPS, but it's not cause for alarm

Today, news broke about Respawn, the studio behind live service hit Apex Legends and other games like the Titanfall and Star Wars: Jedi series, quietly canceled an unannounced FPS project. With the way projects have been canceled, and studios have been shut down lately, like WB shutting down three studios including Monolith Productions and canceling their Wonder Woman project, it makes sense that this could be seen as something to worry about. The unknown number of layoffs that appear to be connected to this cancellation are a serious mistake on Respawn’s part, but if you’re worried about the future of Respawn as a studio, don’t be.

Respawn cancels an unannounced FPS, but it’s probably not a sign of doom for the studio

The video game industry has been chaotic lately, to say the least. Video game developers are facing unprecedented levels of layoffs, with last year alone seeing 14,600 developers losing their jobs, and 2025 continuing to add to that number. Studios are reaching a point where it feels like there’s no way to win. Fans were shocked a few weeks ago when the developer of Marvel Rivals, NetEase, shut down a Seattle-based studio of six developers that had helped ship the highly successful game. So yes, it’s understandable that hearing news of a beloved developer’s game getting canceled can be a cause for alarm. Thanks to Insider Gaming for originally reporting this news, which was discovered via a now-removed LinkedIn post.

The good news is that Respawn is not in the same position as many of the recent studio closures. Apex Legends is still one of the most successful live service games on the market right now. It regularly sits near the top of Steam’s most played charts according to SteamDB, and that’s not accounting for console players. Plus, Respawn has had success with single-player games in the Star Wars Jedi series, including Star Wars: Jedi Survivor from 2023.

Thanks to some great insights from a book I just finished reading, Blood, Sweat, and Pixels by Jason Schreier, which dives deep into the development process behind ten video games and the studios that made them, I know that studios of this size often have a few ideas cooking that may never see the light of day. While the layoffs associated with this are unfortunate, it still feels like a decision from a studio operating from a relatively healthy position. Respawn is owned by Electronic Arts, who have been going through a rough period with games like EA Sports FC 2025 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard underperforming, but at the moment Respawn appears to be on solid ground. For now, we’ll have to wait and see what they do next.

Apex Legends

February 4, 2019

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• EA / Electronic Arts
• Respawn Entertainment
• FPP shooters (FPS)