Respawn Entertainment was hit with layoffs last week, affecting around 100 developers across multiple projects. Alongside the layoffs, EA canceled two unannounced games: a Star Wars first-person shooter and a Titanfall extraction shooter. These decisions reflect an uncomfortable truth about the video game industry—success is never enough for corporate publishers.
Despite Respawn’s accomplishments, including the hit battle royale Apex Legends, the Titanfall series, and the critically acclaimed Star Wars Jedi franchise, it still faced cuts. These layoffs highlight a broader industry issue: no matter how commercially or critically successful a studio is, it’s often not enough to satisfy corporate expectations of endless growth.
Electronic Arts, Respawn’s parent company, has shown a pattern of layoffs across its portfolio. In this latest round, an additional 200 developers were laid off across other EA studios. Earlier this year, BioWare announced staff cuts that left fewer than 100 people working on the next Mass Effect, and nearly 700 workers were let go across EA in March 2024. 
The common thread is clear—EA continues to mismanage its studios, expecting perpetual growth regardless of success or stability. Respawn has delivered successful titles consistently, yet was still affected by these cuts. What more could the studio have done? The answer seems to be: nothing. The blame lies not with the developers, but with the publisher’s unrealistic business model.
This isn’t an isolated case. Microsoft recently shut down Tango Game works, despite Hi-Fi Rush being deemed a success “in all key measurements.” In today’s market, even well-reviewed and well-performing games don’t guarantee job security. Success is now judged not by quality or profitability alone, but by whether it exceeds constantly rising expectations.
At the core of the issue is an obsession with perpetual, unsustainable growth. Year-over-year increases in profit are demanded, regardless of economic conditions, creative success, or team stability. Developers are left chasing moving targets while executives make decisions based on financial optics rather than long-term value or loyalty to their teams.
The gaming industry’s cycle of layoffs, even following successful launches, is unsustainable. Until expectations shift from “more every year” to stability and quality, even the best studios remain at risk.
