Bit Reactor furloughed up to 80% of staff before Star Wars Zero Company launch
The studio behind Star Wars Zero Company, a tactical RPG that has become a Steam bestseller since its release last week, furloughed the majority of its staff before the game even launched, according to a new report. The revelation has cast a shadow over what was otherwise a triumphant launch for developer Bit Reactor, with the game earning near-universal critical praise and strong sales across PC, PS5 and Xbox.
A report from Game File’s Stephen Totilo states that “most” of Bit Reactor’s staff were placed on furlough ahead of the game’s August 28 release. A representative for the studio confirmed the furloughs to Game File, though declined to specify exactly how many employees were affected. The representative said the decision was driven by uncertainty around how the game would perform at launch, and stressed that it was Bit Reactor’s own call, not one imposed by publisher EA or Disney.
Other sources cited in the report claim the furloughs impacted up to 80% of the team. A third source described a “skeleton crew” remaining on the payroll to handle post-launch bug fixes. The Bit Reactor rep told Game File that the studio hoped to bring furloughed workers back with restored pay, suggesting that a successful launch could help reverse the situation.
The timing of the furloughs has drawn criticism from former staff. Zachariah Scott, who was let go by Bit Reactor earlier this year, posted on LinkedIn about the apparent disconnect between the studio’s public celebration of the game’s success and the reality for many of its workers. “It is sick and weird to have all of these EA and Disney folks as well as Bitreactor Senior staff making all of these 10/10 posts about Star Wars Zero Company being such a huge success and praising the work of the team while seemingly concealing the fact that the team was furloughed weeks ago,” Scott wrote.
He added: “It is a gross but all too common sight to see, another corporate game hitting the top of Steam while the team is left looking for work and cut off from any possible profit sharing. It would be such a different story if they had been upfront about it earlier, and now it feels like they're trying to keep the team in a holding pattern with good vibes and more empty promises.”
Star Wars Zero Company launched on August 28 to widespread critical acclaim. PC Gamer’s Ted Litchfield called it “a new all-timer Star Wars game and a stunning debut for Bit Reactor,” while PCGamesN’s Ben Sledge gave it an 8/10, praising its “triple-A polish” and “thrilling narrative.” The game is currently the top-selling title on Steam, and has also released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox consoles.
The contrast between the game’s commercial and critical success and the reported treatment of its developers paints a bleak picture of the current state of the games industry. Even a studio that has just shipped a critically acclaimed, well-selling Star Wars title published by EA is showing severe symptoms of financial strain in the days following launch. Positive reviews do not always translate to the kind of financial performance that would justify keeping a full team on payroll, and it remains unclear what Bit Reactor considers a “successful launch” in business terms.
The Bit Reactor rep told Game File that the furloughs were “a difficult decision and one that had been made before it was clear how launch would go.” The studio has not commented further on the situation, and it is not yet known when or if the furloughed staff will be brought back.