EA has pulled the plug on a promising multiplayer Titanfall spin-off at Respawn, codenamed “R7,” before the public even saw a teaser—talk about stealth mode. This move comes alongside nearly 100 layoffs at Respawn, hitting teams behind Apex Legends and Star Wars Jedi. Why? EA claims it’s all about strategic realignment and surviving the brutal shooter market. Fans are bummed; yet another what-could-have-been. Wondering what’s really driving these headline-grabbing decisions? There’s more just ahead.
Swinging the axe once again, Electronic Arts has quietly shut down an unannounced Titanfall game that was in the works at Respawn Entertainment—yes, that Respawn, the same studio behind Apex Legends and the Star Wars Jedi series. The project, codenamed “R7,” was meant to be a new multiplayer extraction shooter nestled in the beloved Titanfall universe. Fans never even got a teaser trailer—just the abrupt news that the game, still in its early incubation stage, is no more.
So what happened? EA says it’s part of a broader “strategic realignment.” Translation: they’re moving resources around, trimming costs, and focusing on what they see as their best bets for future growth. Unfortunately, that meant layoffs—about 100 developers at Respawn alone. For a studio known for its creative firepower, that’s a significant blow. This wave of layoffs didn’t spare teams working on Apex Legends or Star Wars Jedi projects either. The Titanfall extraction shooter was in the early incubation stage and not close to completion, signaling that EA cut the project before it could fully take shape. Industry-wide, between 300 and 400 employees laid off across the company underscores the scale and impact of EA’s workforce changes.
Industry watchers might have seen this coming, given the extraction shooter genre is heating up with heavyweights like Bungie’s Marathon (set for September 23) and other titles vying for the same player base. Still, it’s a bit ironic—Respawn helped define the modern shooter, and now their shot at this trendy genre has been cut before it even got announced.
EA, for their part, is sticking to familiar corporate speak, emphasizing “long-term priorities” and “resource realignment.” The layoff tally across EA sits between 300 and 400, with the company saying this is all part of adapting to a competitive, unpredictable gaming market. Basically, it’s about staying profitable—and perhaps avoiding the fate of other big publishers who’ve been burned by overextending themselves.
Of course, the Titanfall fandom is left with yet another “what could have been” moment. R7 is now just another entry in the growing list of canceled games fans never got to play. The shift toward live service games in the industry has made publishers like EA increasingly selective about which projects receive long-term support. As the genre’s popularity keeps surging, it’s hard not to wonder: Did EA just miss their next big hit, or dodge a costly misfire? Only time—and maybe a few more layoffs—will tell.