Core Apex Legends devs lose jobs as EA layoffs hit Respawn
On March 14, several members of the Apex Legends development and social teams announced that they have lost their jobs as part of the EA layoffs that have also impacted Respawn Entertainment.
On February 28, EA announced that it was laying off five percent of its employees, which according to GameIndustry.biz’s findings would equate to about 670 people losing their jobs.
In a note to EA staff, CEO Andrew Wilson said that the company is “moving away from development of future licensed IP that we do not believe will be successful in our changing industry.”
“This greater focus allows us to drive creativity, accelerate innovation, and double down on our biggest opportunities — including our owned IP, sports, and massive online communities — to deliver the entertainment players want today and tomorrow.”
The Star Wars title EA had in the works was scrapped along with this announcement, though the Black Panther, Iron Man, and Jedi games are all still in production.
Presumably, Apex Legends and the Titanfall universe it hails from would both fall under “owned IP” and “massive online communities” — with 18 million active monthly players in 2024 — but that apparently was not enough to keep Respawn employees safe from these layoffs.
So far, we also haven’t gotten an official announcement from Respawn or EA about the staffing cuts, only getting confirmation from employees posting about their situations on Twitter.
“After 20 Seasons of Apex and 5 years at Respawn nearly to the day, my job has been made redundant and I have been laid off,” Respawn’s former Global Social Media Lead Alex Ackerman wrote on Twitter. “Working on this game and supporting this community has truly been the honor of my career and a highlight of my life. Thank you for everything, legends ❤️”
“Rough day at EA. Rough day at Respawn,” wrote senior writer Pete Stewart on Twitter. “Although I’m thankful to be safe, my thoughts are with everyone affected by the ongoing layoffs, and if there’s any way I can help or signal boost, I will do. It’s really hard to find the energy and joy to make games in this environment.”
These are just some of the layoffs that have hit the games industry in 2024 alone, with at least 8,100 people losing their jobs in the past two and a half months.
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