Recently it was revealed that Respawn Entertainment was in the very early stages of development on a brand new first-person video game based on the “Star Wars: The Mandalorian” Disney+ series.

However, this week, Electronic Arts announced it would be laying off about 5% of its workforce, which is around 670 individuals and because of this, many projects at EA’s multiple game studios have been cancelled.  One of those games is the untitled first-person shooting game that was going to feature “The Mandalorian”. 

EA’s president, Laura Miele, shared a note with staff explaining that moving forward, EA would be focusing more on its own branded titles and supporting existing games.  As part of the change, EA will be moving more to more open-world games, massive communities, and live service 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.

It’s not lost on me that these changes are more than words on a page; they directly impact the work you do every day and, in some cases, mean we are eliminating roles and saying goodbye to talented colleagues. I will never lose sight of the human impact of these decisions, and know that change and disruption aren’t easy. In difficult moments, we must remember how important it is to show up for our players and for each other.”

This new game apparently would have seen the player take control of a Mandalorian Bounty Hunter. It could be Din Djarin or another Mandalorian character like Boba Fett or someone new.  The new game was going to be set when the Galactic Empire is still dominating the galaxy, and the player’s role is a bounty hunter who has to recapture bounties, dead or alive, for Imperial credits.

According to IGN, most of the teams working on the “Mandalorian” shooter will be reassigned to other projects, including “Apex Legends”, “Iron Man”, “Black Panther”, and the third instalment in the “Star Wars: Jedi” franchise.     EA has just completed a ten-year exclusive deal for Star Wars titles, but while it is focused on continuing the relationship with Disney, it no longer has the exclusive rights to make video games with the characters.

Much like within the movie industry, gaming is going through some major changes to cut costs, as this is the latest wave of job cuts and projects to be cancelled by game developers.  Earlier this week, Sony announced it would be laying off 900 workers from its PlayStation gaming division, and Microsoft laid off 1900 workers earlier this year from its gaming division following the acquisition of Blizzard/Activision.

What do you think about EA cancelling this game?  Let us know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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