The gaming industry continues to be hit by layoffs as just days after Sony confirmed a few of their studios would be downsized, EA revealed they'd be laying off 5% of their workforce, cancelling the recently leaked The Mandalorian FPS by Respawn Entertainment, according to reports.
A report by Game Industry Biz states that EA's layoffs would impact around 670 workers, leaving the total headcount of the company at 13,400. As part of their restructuring, live service games such as MLB Tap Sports and F1 Mobile Racing are getting sunset.
The report also states that EA is shifting focus from licensed IPs to developing more in-house projects and working with their current existing ones. Despite that, previously announced Marvel projects such as Cliffhanger Games' Black Panther and EA Motive's Iron Man are still in development, however, one didn't make the cut - Respawn's The Mandalorian FPS.
While the initial article by Game Industry didn't directly mention The Mandalorian as being canned, a second report by IGN added more context, stating that the project was cancelled, with developers being reassigned to other games, such as the aforementioned Black Panther and Iron Man ones, as well as Apex Legends.
According to a letter EA president Laura Miele sent to the remaining staff, explaining that the decision was a difficult one but they remain committed to giving fans the blockbuster level of storytelling they deserve.
It's always hard to walk away from a project, and this decision is not a reflection of the team’s talent, tenacity, or passion they have for the game. Giving fans the next instalments of the iconic franchises they want is the definition of blockbuster storytelling and the right place to focus
If you're worried about the Star Wars: Jedi IP, fret not, as EA plans to move with it as its flagship Star Wars title, with a third entry all but confirmed. As IGN states, the Jedi franchise is part of the few licensed projects EA will be leaning into heavily alongside their upcoming Marvel titles. Original IPs such as The Sims, Apex Legends, Battlefield, Dragon Age, Skate, Need for Speed, and the catalogue from EA Sports remain a priority.
It's sad to see another Star Wars project go the way of Star Wars 1313, especially since The Mandalorian show actually used assets from the canned action-adventure title, and a game based on the Disney+ series seeing the light of day would have felt like a nice spiritual successor to 1313.
The game was just leaked weeks ago too, with fans anticipating news in the coming months. Sadly, the ones they got may very well be the last time we hear of the project.