Bit Reactor lays off staff following Star Wars: Zero Company release
Bit Reactor, the studio behind Star Wars: Zero Company, has laid off an unspecified number of staff members. This move comes only a month after the studio began the process of bringing developers back from furlough following the game's launch.
The layoffs were confirmed by several developers via LinkedIn on Friday, November 6, as first reported by Bespin Bulletin. While the studio has not officially disclosed the total number of affected employees, the departures include key contributors to the project's development and post-launch phase.
Among those confirmed to have been let go are senior environment artist Ryan Lopez, who worked on Zero Company for three and a half years from pre-production through to its release, and who was laid off following a three-month furlough. Also departing the studio are UI engineer Tyler Eichten, responsible for much of the on-screen interface for the game's tactical missions, and Ryan Mosher from the QA team.
A turbulent period for Bit Reactor
The studio's recent history has been marked by significant financial instability. In the weeks leading up to the August 27 launch of Star Wars: Zero Company, Bit Reactor furloughed a large portion of its workforce, with some sources estimating the figure at approximately 80 percent of the staff. This decision appeared to be a response to the studio running low on funds shortly before the game's release.
Despite these challenges, the game achieved commercial success, reportedly selling over a million copies within its first month. Following this, CEO Greg Foertsch announced on Bluesky on October 7 that the studio had begun returning more of the team to work. Foertsch described the decision to furlough staff so close to launch as an "incredibly difficult" but necessary step to ensure the studio could eventually bring as many people back as possible.
While it is believed that more than half of the studio's staff returned to work, not all were on full pay, and it remains unclear if those recently rehired are included in this latest round of layoffs.
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