It has been revealed in a new report that the developers at Bit Reactor, the studio behind Star Wars Zero Company, were mostly furloughed or terminated ahead of the game’s launch as funding dried up. It was suggested that up to 80% of the team was impacted, with the studio’s leadership being unsure of what the post-launch roadmap would look like.
Now that Star Wars Zero Company has launched, it has proven to be a success, hitting a peak player count of 77,000 users on Steam alone and garnering a Metascore of 85, but the future remains unclear for the employees hit by the furlough.
Bit Reactor Employees Concerned For Their Future
In a new report from Game File’s Stephen Totilo, testimonies from former and furloughed Bit Reactor employees confirmed the lay of the land. Weeks (or months, in some cases) ago, up to 80% of the studio was furloughed or laid off.
This follows some legal concerns at the highest echelons of the studio, with lawsuits having surfaced concerning ownership over the last couple of years.
Totilo’s report captured comments from various sources, including one who claimed that the team had concealed the furloughing of employees ahead of the game’s launch. Another said that, even if those who were put ‘on hold’ came back to the studio, it was doubtful that everyone would get their old jobs back.
It was also stressed that only a skeleton crew remained at the studio to carry out post-launch bug fixes.
Star Wars Zero Company, a turn-based tactics title with a single-player campaign that welcomes some of the most recognizable elements of the sci-fi universe, has launched to a decent reception.
It has racked up a 77% positivity rating on Steam from more than 10,000 reviews, and has a peak player count of 77,889, which is no small feat. It has also amassed a Metacritic rating of 85, which, again, is pretty good. That puts it on par, more or less, with the likes of Blood of Dawnwalker and the new Onimusha title.
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Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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