After nearly a decade of waiting for the highly anticipatedTitanfall 3, a recent announcement from Respawn has killed most of the hope I had for a return to one of my favorite sci-fi gaming franchises returning anytime soon. Following less-than-expected sales for recent titles likeDragon Age: The Veilguardand profits from EA’s ongoing live-service titles, the company has tragically laid off a significant portion of its development teams. While EA took the brunt of the layoffs itself, Respawn Entertainment was also significantly affected, with over 100 positions being cut as a part of the decision.
Not only are layoffs an unfortunate but all-too-common trend in the gaming industry, they also bring with them the cancellation of unique projects created by talented development teams that will never see the light of day. While not too many details have been revealed about each of the two projects being cancelled by Respawn, one of them was almost too strange to believe.Following the announcement, it turns outone leak was spot onto the official project by Respawn set in theTitanfalluniverse, but we found out in the worst way possible.
Titanfall’s Upcoming Extraction Shooter Has Been Officially Canceled
Causing A More Than Mixed Reaction From The Titanfall Community
Despite the countless rumors aboutTitanfall 3releasing over the years,there has been very littleTitanfallnews from EA or Respawn aside from a few vague social media posts acknowledging the franchise and hinting that it isn’t being entirely abandoned. While it doesn’t technically count as anotherTitanfall 3cancellation, Respawn’s next spinoff,Project R7,was set in theTitanfalluniverse and planned as a closer successor toTitanfall 2, but has been officially canceled as a part of the most recent layoffs.
Respawn’s next spinoff,Project R7,was set in the Titanfall universe and planned as a closer successor to Titanfall 2.
Rather than putting resources towardsTitanfalland another unnamed FPS project,EA plans to push more resources towards provenfranchises likeApex Legendsand theStar Wars: Jediseries instead.While the move isn’t too surprising given EA’s focus on live service projects, the downsizing of proven team members and killing hope for a fan-favorite revival seems like a massive misstep for the studio’s future.
On top of the devastating news forTitanfallfans,I was more than a little confused by the direction EA was taking with the next entry in the series. While I am more than a little desperate for any officialTitanfallcontent at this point, I can’t say that I would have looked forward to yet another multiplayer spin-off for the series riddled with microtransactions.
Another Titanfall Spinoff Would Have Been A Massive Disappointment
A Confusing Attempt To Satisfy Both Gaming Crowds
Despite it being hard to seeApex LegendsandTitanfallin the same universe aside from their environments and weapon designs,without the ever-popular battle royale, theTitanfallfranchise would likely have been left behind years ago. While I’m thankful that some elements ofTitanfallhave lived on and continue to be referenced inApex Legends' recent seasonsor related media, it still hurts to see one of my favorite gaming experiences being reduced to simple set dressing.
It still hurts to see one of my favorite gaming experiences being reduced to simple set dressing.
Unfortunately forTitanfallfans,Apex Legendshas massively dwarfed both the player count and profits of bothTitanfallgames combined by a significant margin, likely being the reason that EA has focused its efforts on the live service title so heavily over the years. WithApex Legendshaving earned several billion dollars of profit since its release only 6 years ago, I’m not too surprised that EA was trying to recapture the lightning success ofApex Legendswith yet another multiplayer-only onlyTitanfallspinoff.
Even if the canceledProject R7had survived long enough to make it out of the development phase, I’m hesitant to believeTitanfall’s second spinoff would have reached anywhere near the same level of success asApex Legends. There’s certainly a market for extraction shooters based on the ongoing popularity of games likeEscape from TarkovorHunt Showdown, butthe up-and-coming gameplay style is a much more niche genre than the widespread appeal and explosive popularity of fast-paced battle royales.
There’s Still Room For Single-Player Games From EA
Other Franchises Can Still Flourish Alongside EA’s Microtransaction Strategy
It’s not too hard to picture an extraction shooter taking place in the desolate and war-ridden galaxy ofTitanfall, but it’s hard to picture an image that would satisfy either of Respawn’s target demographics. On top of the slower-paced game design that would have likely alienatedApex Legendsplayers, I struggle to imagineProject R7’s appeal to fans still holding out hope for a sequel toTitanfall 2. Despite my concerns,Respawn has proven they’re more than capable of creating unique and fun gameplay experiences, but Marathon’s negative reaction isn’t a great sign for public perception towards the genre.
With EA continuing to fund these kinds of projects, there could still be room forTitanfall 3from Respawn.
Despite EA’s lack of focus on single-player-only experiences with little room for DLC, that hasn’t stopped several franchises from thriving under their influence. From one-off titles like theDead Space Remasterto the beloved and ongoingStar Wars: Jedifranchise,there is still a clear demand and financial incentive for high-quality experiences without live service elements. With EA continuing to fund these kinds of projects, there could still be room forTitanfall 3from Respawn, especially if it usesApex Legendsto boost the popularity of the franchise through story events.
EA’s Monetization Has Me Worried About Titanfall 3
There Might Never Be A Sequel To Titanfall 2, But It Could Be For The Best
The popularity ofApex Legendsseems to have been a double-edged sword for theTitanfallfranchise, as its popular gameplay style and mountain of content have managed to surprise the cult fanaticism behindTitanfall’s incredibly interesting worldbuilding. Following leaks that the canceledProject R7would have featured a similar level of microtransactions and the implementation of a battle pass, I can’t say that I’m too disappointed it never came to fruition. It’s no secret thatApex Legends’monetization is some of the most expensive in the genre, stretching the definition of the micro in microtransactions with their cosmetic prices.
I’m still holding out hope thatProject R7wasn’t the soleTitanfallproject in development by Respawn, given how early its development was canceled.
At this point, I’m not confident that EA will be able to deliver another entry in theTitanfalluniverse with the franchise focus it deserves, especially after the effectApex Legendsand other live service titles have had on both EA and the industry as a whole. While I’m still holding out hope thatProject R7wasn’t the soleTitanfallproject in development by Respawn, given how early its development was canceled, I would rather haveTitanfall 2be the last in the series than a barely recognizable spinoff using the IP to boost sales.
