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Star Wars Zero Company studio Bit Reactor is laying off staff, a month after it started bringing back furloughed devs
Bit Reactor has laid off several staff while continuing to seek financial stability, less than a month after its CEO said some furloughed employees were returning. The cuts affect developers at the studio behind Star Wars Zero Company, a critically acclaimed release whose commercial performance has not prevented further job losses.
Around 80% of Bit Reactor’s staff were reportedly furloughed without pay before the game launched in late August, as the studio ran short of money. At least four employees have publicly said they were laid off; senior environment artist Ryan Lopez said he had been laid off after a three-month furlough. It is unclear whether others affected had recently returned to work. The game received a Metacritic score of 84 and sold one million copies in roughly its first six weeks.
In short
- Bit Reactor has laid off several employees.
- Around 80% of staff were previously furloughed without pay.
- Star Wars Zero Company sold one million copies in about six weeks.
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The case for
A studio facing financial instability may argue that layoffs are necessary to keep the business operating and preserve some jobs, especially if the game’s sales have not generated enough cash to cover ongoing costs. Making cuts while seeking a stable funding position could give the studio a chance to continue developing games and potentially rehire staff later.
The case against
Employees and their supporters may argue that further layoffs are especially hard to justify after widespread unpaid furloughs and the recent return of some workers, leaving staff with prolonged uncertainty and lost income. The game’s strong reviews and substantial early sales may also prompt questions about whether workers are bearing the costs of financial and business decisions they did not control.
Explained simply
Bit Reactor is a video game studio, and Star Wars Zero Company is a game it developed. The studio has faced financial pressure, with reports that most of its staff were furloughed without pay before the game launched in late August.
Furloughs temporarily keep workers away from their jobs, often without pay, while layoffs end their employment. Several Bit Reactor staff have said they were laid off, including senior environment artist Ryan Lopez, who said he had been furloughed for three months before losing his job.
The game received an 84 score on Metacritic and sold about one million copies in its first six weeks. Those figures offer context for the studio’s situation, but do not by themselves show how much money the game earned or whether it covered the company’s costs.
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