Electronic Arts has cancelled an in-development Star Wars first-person shooter at Respawn.
Announced in 2022, the FPS game was being helmed by former LucasArts veteran and Medal of Honor co-creator Peter Hirschmann, who previously worked on the original Battlefront games, The Force Unleashed and more.
In a statement published on Wednesday alongside the announcement of nearly 700 company-wide layoffs, EA Entertainment president Laura Miele said that after a review, it had decided Respawn should focus on the Jedi and Apex Legends series.
“Respawn’s unique ability to connect with players and create exceptional game experiences is unrivaled in entertainment,” she said in a statement. “As we’ve looked at Respawn’s portfolio over the last few months, what’s clear is the games our players are most excited about are Jedi and Respawn’s rich library of owned brands.
“Knowing this, we have decided to pivot away from early development on a Star Wars FPS Action game to focus our efforts on new projects based on our owned brands while providing support for existing games.
“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 installments of the iconic franchises they want is the definition of blockbuster storytelling and the right place to focus.”
Last September, actor Cameron Monaghan said during Ocala Comic Con that he was “working on a third” entry in the Star Wars Jedi series.
Monaghan’s announcement came only shortly before Stig Asmussen, the director of both Star Wars Jedi games, announced that he was leaving developer Respawn Entertainment.
Before he left, Asmussen had said he had hoped to make a third Star Wars Jedi game because he always envisaged it as a three-game story arc.
Read more on videogameschronicle.com