Starbreeze Lays Off 44 Employees as it Cancels Project Baxter - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 02 October 2025 / 1,920 Views
Starbreeze Studios announced it is laying off 44 employees and contractors as it has cancelled the Dungeons & Dragons game, Project Baxter.
The developer has decided to put more of its focus on the Payday franchise and some of the Project Baxter team will be moved to work on other projects at Starbreeze, mainly Payday.
"Starbreeze today announces that it will discontinue development of Project Baxter," reads the press release. "Following a strategic review, the Board of Directors and management have concluded that resources are best deployed to accelerate the growth of Starbreeze’s flagship Payday franchise."
The goal with the cancellation, layoffs, and more of a focus on Payday will help Starbreeze have a positive cash-flow in 2026.
Starbreeze CEO Adolf Kristjansson stated, "This was a difficult but necessary decision. Our strategy is clear: Payday is one of the most iconic IPs in gaming, with unmatched reach and potential. By focusing our investment and talent here, we can accelerate delivery, engage players with more content, and reinforce Starbreeze’s position as the clear leader in the heisting genre. This is about sharpening our focus to create the strongest long-term value for our players, our people, and our shareholders."
Kristjansson concluded, "I want to sincerely thank the Baxter team for their passion and creativity, and express appreciation to Wizards of the Coast for their support. Though we have made the decision to not continue forward with this project, we are proud of what was achieved in Baxter, and those contributions will carry forward into Payday and the future of Starbreeze. By concentrating our efforts on Payday we give Starbreeze and all our employees the best chance to succeed."
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
