It is a hard time to create video games. For as long as anyone can remember, there has been a lingering tide of layoffs washing over the industry, and 2025 isn't going to be any different. It appears no studio, big or small, is spared from job cuts. All this while developers pour their souls into these games, and a sense of deep uncertainty makes it tough to feel inspired.
Patrick Wren, a Senior Designer at Respawn Entertainment-the studio responsible for the Titanfall classic series-recently gave a hint as to what mood prevails in his team after Cliffhanger Studios, another Electronic Arts division, gave out the sour news of going away. Wren confessed that the atmosphere at Respawn is anything but jolly.
He said it bluntly: morale is at an all-time low. The news about layoffs happening elsewhere creates an anxiety environment that freezes the creativity of minds used to thinking only about their craft.
In a heartfelt other post on Bluesky, Wren generalizes his compassion to anyone who tries to build a career in game development today. "I feel sorry for those who just want to make games in this industry," he admits. A lot of people seems to share that feeling.
It is important to remember that EA is the parent company of Respawn and that also in April, EA conducted layoffs within Respawn itself. Two game projects were cancelled, and around a hundred people lost their jobs in that restructuring. But work on "Star Wars Zero Company," a tactics game set in the Star Wars universe, continues at the studio.
Words from Respawn are an almost bitter reminder of what goes into the human cost of these headlines concerning consolidation and cutbacks in the industry. For most, the making of games is a passion, but the current climate does make it precarious.
