{"rewrite":{"id":"r_a0bb3616eedd4eebec056e14","clusterId":"c_9aa50cb0e1dd06d2493fcef4","slug":"bit-reactor-begins-bringing-back-staff-from-unpaid-leave-on-star-wars-zero-company","model":"deepseek-v4-1-flash","headline":"Bit Reactor Begins Bringing Back Staff From Unpaid Leave On STAR WARS Zero Company","summary":"Bit Reactor has started returning employees who were placed on temporary unpaid leave, CEO Greg Foertsch said on October 8. Roughly 80 percent of the STAR WARS Zero Company development team had been on leave, with minimal staff handling bug fixes. Game File, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that paid staffing has recovered to more than half its level before the leave. The number who have returned is not disclosed.","whyItMatters":"The recalls move Bit Reactor past the point where rehiring depended on sales performance, but with no headcount disclosed and a lawsuit between Foertsch and co-founder Alison Kelly still running, the studio is only partway back to a full team.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eFoertsch framed the leave as a difficult but necessary call made shortly before launch, and said he wants as many staff back as possible. He thanked the team and the fans and said new information about Bit Reactor and the game is coming in the near future.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe return is staged, so the number of recalled developers can keep rising. That number is still unstated. A lawsuit between Foertsch and co-founder Alison Kelly over ownership of the company continues, and it has been suggested as a possible cause of the leave without a clear connection being established.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Bit Reactor's recall is partial by design: paid staffing sits above half its pre-leave level, but roughly 80 percent of the Zero Company team was benched. Headcount now tracks the game's sales, not the calendar.","twitterPost":"Bit Reactor is recalling staff, yet headcount still tracks the game. Paid staffing is above half its pre-leave level, not whole.","threadsPost":"Bit Reactor recalled staff from unpaid leave, but paid staffing is only above half its pre-leave level. With roughly 80 percent of the Zero Company team benched, headcount now follows the game's sales, not a hiring plan.","newsletterBlurb":"Bit Reactor has begun the process of returning employees who were placed on temporary unpaid leave from STAR WARS Zero Company, CEO Greg Foertsch said on October 8. Roughly 80 percent of the development team had been on leave. Game File, citing people familiar with the matter, reported that paid staffing has recovered to more than half its pre-leave level, and Bit Reactor has not said how many developers have returned.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20261008-472321/\",\"title\":\"Developer of popular game 'STAR WARS Zero Company' begins calling back 'staff who were on unpaid leave' - from the brink, where rehiring depended on 'sales performance'\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4585,"outputTokens":620,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1791427027,"createdAt":"2026-10-08T02:31:21.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-10-08T02:36:05.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-08T02:36:05.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_9aa50cb0e1dd06d2493fcef4","canonicalTitle":"人気ゲーム『STAR WARS ゼロ・カンパニー』開発元、「無給の休職状態だったスタッフたち」を呼び戻し始める。“売れ行き次第”だった崖っぷちから","representativeArticleId":"a_095bb79c2f4bb4d8e50c6f9e","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Star Wars: Zero Company\"],\"studios\":[\"Bit Reactor\"],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"business\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-10-08T01:32:48.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-10-08T01:32:48.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-08T02:36:06.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20261008-472321/","title":"人気ゲーム『STAR WARS ゼロ・カンパニー』開発元、「無給の休職状態だったスタッフたち」を呼び戻し始める。“売れ行き次第”だった崖っぷちから"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Star Wars: Zero Company"],"studios":["Bit Reactor"],"people":[],"type":"business","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":null}