Bit Reactor laid off an unspecified number of developers on November 6, 2026, just one month after the studio began bringing furloughed employees back to work following the successful launch of Star Wars Zero Company.
Bit Reactor Furloughed 80 Percent of Staff Before Launch
The studio took drastic measures in the weeks leading up to the game’s release. Bit Reactor furloughed most of its staff as the project reportedly ran out of most of its money ahead of schedule. Sources estimated the furloughed share at roughly 80 percent of the team.
Former senior technical artist Zachariah Scott criticized the studio at the time for building the tactics game with shocking austerity
and accused leadership of concealing the early staff furloughs. CEO Greg Foertsch later defended the decision in an October 7 statement on Bluesky, describing the furloughs as a response to unexpected business developments outside of our control
that proved necessary to help us eventually bring as many people back as we can
.
Asking staff to step away so close to launch was an incredibly difficult decision, he added, but one that was necessary to help the company eventually bring as many people back as possible.
Star Wars Zero Company Generates Millions in Revenue
Star Wars Zero Company launched on August 27, 2026, across PC, PS5, and Xbox. The turn-based strategy title quickly gained commercial traction and critical praise.
Analytics firms estimate the game sold over one million copies within its first month on the market. Current sales figures from Video Game Insights place the total at 1.2 million units sold, generating approximately $52.2 million in revenue, according to industry reporting. Reviewers welcomed the title as well, with PC Gamer naming it one of the best games of 2026 and a new all-timer Star Wars videogame
.
Zero Company was published by Electronic Arts, and launched on August 27 to favourable reviews, currently holding a score of 84 on Metacritic for the PC release. Within a month, the title had sold one million copies, prompting Bit Reactor to announce it had hired back some of its staff.
LinkedIn Announcements Confirm Staff Departures
Following the game’s commercial success, Bit Reactor started recalling workers in October. However, the recovery proved temporary for several team members who announced their departures on LinkedIn.
Senior environment artist Ryan Lopez confirmed he was let go after spending three and a half years on the project and enduring a three-month furlough.
While it stings, I’m really proud of what we built together,
Ryan Lopez, senior environment artist
Other affected personnel who shared news of their layoffs include UI engineer Tyler Eichten, senior quality assurance analyst Ryan Mosher, environment artist Michael Cabezas, environment artist Joshua Jay, and producer Michael Blackard. As spotted by Star Wars outlet Bespin Bulletin, multiple developers shared word of their layoffs to LinkedIn on Friday, November 6.
Through a LinkedIn post, Michael Cabezas stated he was let go by Bit Reactor, noting that collaborating with the group on a Star Wars game was a major career high point and expressing pride in their collective achievements on the undertaking.
The turn-based strategy game features tactical mission HUD elements largely crafted by Eichten. Regrettably, it now appears that the recall did not extend to all personnel, as several departed employees have reported losing their jobs.
Future Projects and Studio Context
Bit Reactor was founded just over four years ago in Maryland by Greg Foertsch, drawing on talent from the XCOM developer as well as other studios. As for other upcoming Star Wars projects from EA, it is reportedly set to reveal the next Star Wars Jedi title and allegedly greenlit Star Wars Battlefront 3.
