Star Wars Zero Company Dev Bit Reactor Hit With Layoffs - News
by William D'Angelo , posted 17 minutes ago / 85 Views
Star Wars Zero Company developer Bit Reactor has been hit with a number of layoffs, according to multiple employees posting on LinkedIn spotted by Bespin Bulletin.
The studio had "furloughed most of its employees and terminated contractors" ahead of the launch of Star Wars Zero Company. Reports claimed that around 80 percent of staff were impacted at the time. Bit Reactor, which was founded in 2021, had run out of money just ahead of launch.
The studio would begin rehiring some of the furloughed staff last month to bring the total headcount back to over half of what it was.
It does appear that at least some of those laid off were part of the furlough and had not been rehired.
Senior Environment Artist Ryan Lopez in a post on LinkedIn said, "I was laid off from Bit Reactor this week after a three-month furlough, and while it stings, I’m really proud of what we built together.
"For the past three and a half years I worked as a Material/Texture and Environment Artist on Star Wars: Zero Company, from pre-production all the way to launch this August. I built and maintained the environment team’s material and shader pipeline in Unreal Engine 5, helped model and texture the main hub ship inside and out, learned a ton and taught some. All while having a blast doing it."
UI Engineer Tyler Eichten in his own post stated, "As of today, my time with Bit Reactor has come to a close due to a layoff. I am immensely proud of the work that I, the UI/UX team, and the team at large have accomplished. I hope that in this tumultuous industry that my coworkers (and myself) find placement."
QA team member Ryan Mosher in a post also said, "I am looking for a new role and would appreciate your support. Unfortunately I was affected by layoffs at Bit Reactor. Thank you in advance for any connections, advice, or opportunities you can offer."
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.
