The current cancellation of Black Panther and the closure of the studio creating the sport, Cliffhanger Video games, Patrick Wren – senior encounter designer on Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – has taken to social media platform BlueSky to disclose that morale at Respawn Entertianment has been fairly low.
Whereas he didn’t elaborate a lot about it, he responded to a different put up bemoaning the cancellation of Black Panther with a put up merely saying that, “Morale has been at an all-time low.” His put up continued, “I can say that a lot.”
Wren’s assertion possible is available in mild of EA having canceled fairly a couple of in-development tasks at Respawn Leisure. A number of of those titles had been known as “incubation tasks”, which might possible point out that these video games had been nonetheless very early of their growth cycles earlier than they had been in the end canceled.
Again in April, EA had introduced that it was shedding 300 workers from throughout its numerous divisions, together with workers from Respawn. The studio confirmed that two of its incubation projnects had been canceled – considered one of which was rumoured to be a multiplayer extraction shooter set within the Titanfall universe, and the opposite merely being codenamed R7. Round a 100 workers that had been affected by the lay-offs had been reportedly a part of the Respawn Leisure workers.
“We’re treating our individuals with care and respect all through this course of, working to attenuate impacts by serving to affected workers discover new alternatives throughout the firm when doable and offering assist throughout the transition,” stated EA in a press release saying its lay-offs.
One other multiplayer shooter incubation mission was reportedly cancelled again in March, in accordance with a former worker. “The unannounced incubation mission I used to be part of for the previous 12 months was canceled this week, so I’m becoming a member of the group of extraordinarily proficient and sort individuals within the video games trade trying to find a brand new position,” wrote the worker in a LinkedIn put up that has since been deleted.
Experiences of EA canceling Black Panther and shuttering Cliffhanger Video games happened earlier in the present day. EA Leisure president Laura Miele despatched out an electronic mail to members of the corporate’s workers saying the selections, which additionally concerned lay-offs.
“These choices are exhausting. They have an effect on individuals we’ve labored with, realized from, and shared actual moments with,” wrote Miele. “We’re doing the whole lot we are able to to assist them – together with discovering alternatives inside EA, the place we’ve had success serving to individuals land in new roles.”
In mild of this, builders that had labored on the Black Panther video games took to social media to speak about their time engaged on the title, whereas additionally speaking about how unhappy it was that extra individuals wouldn’t get to expertise what was turning out to be an “bold and particular” sport.
“I used to be part of this unbelievable crew,” wrote idea artist Karla Ortiz in a put up on social media. “We had been engaged on such an incredible and beautiful sport. Detailed, wealthy, lovely. It breaks my coronary heart the world received’t see it. It additionally breaks my coronary heart to say goodbye to the staff. What an honor to work with you all. What a tragic day.”
Morale has been at an all-time low. I can say that a lot.
— Patrick Wren (@witdarkstar.bsky.social) 2025-05-28T18:47:18.116Z