Respawn’s Mandalorian Game Canceled

This week, we have some more disheartening news for the gaming industry as well as for Star Wars fans. Last month, a variety of news outlets revealed that Respawn Entertainment, the studio behind the successful Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order series was in the process of developing a first-person shooter starring the Mandalorian, Din Djarin from the hit Disney Plus series. Although I have been critical of the show in the past, I was quite excited at the potential offered by this title. I love Star Wars shooters like Battlefront or Republic Commando and especially enjoyed the forgotten Star Wars: Bounty Hunter game. I was also happy to see a studio like Respawn leading development considering the high production value and quality they brought to the Star Wars universe.

However, the future looks grim for Mando as it was announced today that development would be discontinued for the time being. It’s such a shame to see yet another Star Wars game cancelled as a result, of corporate politics and economic changes, especially given the rich avenues for storytelling offered by the world. As if that wasn’t enough EA, Respawn’s parent company plans to lay off five percent of its workforce in the coming weeks. This is just the latest in a huge string of layoffs from big-name studios and game publishers.

According to Deadline, CEO Andrew Wilson also announced that you can expect support for some of EA’s live service games to cease as well though there is no official word on what titles he may be referring to. Additionally, he stated that EA will be moving away from licensed IPs in the future as part of the restructuring process. While I’m always in support of new IPs it’s disheartening that this change can only come with the loss of hundreds of jobs.

In regards to the cancellation of The Mandalorian project, EA president Laura Miele gave the following statement. “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.” Time will tell if EA plans to stand by these statements and I’d very much hope their subsequent work warrants the shift in priorities.