Respawn has terminated two projects in their initial stages and reduced staff in the Apex Legends and Star Wars: Jedi teams, leading to 100 job losses

Respawn Entertainment has terminated two early-stage projects and reduced staff within its Apex Legends and Star Wars: Jedi divisions, leading to about 100 job losses.

The studio, owned by EA, acknowledged that although halting these projects and making "targeted team adjustments across Apex Legends and Star Wars Jedi" was challenging, the decision was necessary. EA did not confirm the exact number of layoffs, but IGN estimates around 100 people were impacted, affecting roles in development, quality assurance, and publishing.

Respawn expressed appreciation to the workers who were laid off, acknowledging their significant contributions to the company's success, and mentioned they are providing meaningful assistance to those affected, including exploring new opportunities within EA. They concluded by thanking all past, present, and future contributors.

Earlier, EA had informed investors that Apex Legends did not meet expectations during a record-setting second quarter of fiscal year 2025, but CEO Andrew Wilson dismissed the notion of developing a follow-up, dubbed "Apex 2.0". Prior layoffs in February 2024 affected 5% of the workforce, following a 6% reduction one year earlier.

In the opening months of 2025, about 1800 developers have faced job cuts. Companies experiencing reductions and closures include Freejam, Splash Damage, Piranha Games, Jar of Sparks, Ubisoft, ProbablyMonsters, Iron Galaxy, Sumo Group, Liquid Sword, NetEase Games, Toast Interactive, Night School Studio, Striking Distance, Until Dawn remake developers, Ballistic Moon, and most recently Eidos Montréal, PlaySide, AppLovin, Nerial, and Reality Labs.