Image credit:Respawn/ Bit Reactor

After Star Wars Zero Company dev Bit Reactor brought back an unspecified number of furloughed devs, some of those who weren't have seemingly been laid off

"I’m really proud of what we built together"

· Rock Paper Shotgun

Early last month, Star Wars Zero Company developer Bit Reactor brought back a number of developers who had been furloughed before the game launched in August. At the time they did not specify how many devs were returning to the studio, with a separate report claiming more than half had become full time staffers again. Unfortunately, it does now seem like not everyone was able to be brought back, with a number of now former workers sharing word of having been laid off.

As spotted by Star Wars outlet Bespin Bulletin, multiple developers shared word of their layoffs to LinkedIn. A producer at Bit Reactor, Michael Blackard was seemingly one of the first to report being laid off, alongside senior QA analyst Ryan Mosher. Ryan Lopez, an environment artist at the studio, shared, "I was laid off from Bit Reactor this week after a three-month furlough, and while it stings, I’m really proud of what we built together." Lopez had apparently been working on the game for more than three years, starting all the way back on the game's pre-production period.

Tyler Eichten, a UI engineer, also said, "As of today, my time with Bit Reactor has come to a close due to a layoff. I am immensely proud of the work that I, the UI/UX team, and the team at large have accomplished. I hope that in this tumultuous industry that my coworkers (and myself) find placement." It's unclear at this point in time if any, or how many, other staffers have been formally laid off, and Bit Reactor are yet to make a comment.

Star Wars Zero Company performed very well both critically and commercially, making it all the more disappointing that not all of those who worked on the game, who made it as great as it seemingly is, get to continue working at the studio. As always, solidarity with all devs affected.