{"rewrite":{"id":"r_506e179bc10ab7bd53da8495","clusterId":"c_5ecac4f4b361df764958211c","slug":"bit-reactor-furloughed-80-of-staff-before-star-wars-zero-company-launch","model":"deepseek-v4-flash","headline":"Bit Reactor Furloughed 80% of Staff Before Star Wars Zero Company Launch","summary":"Bit Reactor, the studio behind the turn-based strategy game STAR WARS Zero Company, placed roughly 80 percent of its development team on unpaid furlough weeks before the game launched, according to a report from Game File. EA released the game on August 28 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. A Bit Reactor representative confirmed the furloughs to Game File, called the decision difficult, and said it was made by the studio alone, not at the direction of publisher EA or Star Wars licensor Disney. The representative said the studio wants to bring furloughed staff back with pay restored, and that the game's success could influence the outcome. Some people familiar with the situation doubt all furloughed staff will return to their jobs. Zachariah Scott, a former senior technical artist laid off in May, told Game File he contacted about ten former employees and each said they had been furloughed three weeks prior. Scott said the studio concealed the fact that the team had been furloughed.","whyItMatters":"The studio's financial distress is notable because it follows a $50 million funding contract with EA from 2021 and a launch that drew more than 77,000 concurrent Steam players, with the co-founders' ownership dispute still headed to trial in early 2027.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eBit Reactor\u0026#39;s financial trouble follows a $50 million funding contract the studio signed with EA in 2021 for Zero Company, a figure Game File confirmed while covering the furloughs. The game itself is performing well: it drew more than 77,000 concurrent Steam players at peak and holds a Metacritic score of 85, matching Star Wars Jedi: Survivor from 2023.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eZachariah Scott, the former senior technical artist who left in May, described development as \u0026#34;surprisingly austere.\u0026#34; He told Game File that a request to add more lightsaber animations was rejected for budget reasons. Scott also said the studio hid the furloughs, and that he believed not everyone would return to their old roles even if some staff were brought back.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe studio is also dealing with a legal dispute. Co-founders Greg Foertsch and Alison Kelly have been fighting over ownership since 2024. Kelly claims she was pushed out and denied ownership and profits, with damages exceeding $20 million. Foertsch denies Kelly was ever an owner and says her role was reduced over performance issues. The trial is scheduled for early 2027.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Bit Reactor furloughed ~80% of its team weeks before Star Wars Zero Company shipped, and a former artist says the studio hid it. The game still hit 77k concurrent players on Steam and an 85 on Metacritic.","twitterPost":"Star Wars Zero Company was built under a $50M EA deal, yet a former artist says a request for more lightsaber animations was rejected for budget reasons. Now most of the team is on unpaid furlough.","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"STAR WARS Zero Company launched to strong reviews, but its developer Bit Reactor placed roughly 80 percent of the team on unpaid furlough weeks before release. A former artist says the studio hid the furloughs, and the co-founders remain locked in an ownership dispute.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Automaton\",\"url\":\"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260901-464448/\",\"title\":\"Popular game STAR WARS Zero Company, about 80% of development team reported on unpaid furlough\"},{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/09/01/171596.html\",\"title\":\"Bit Reactor, developer of successful SW Zero Company, reportedly furloughed employees weeks before release\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":8560,"outputTokens":6450,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1788296961,"createdAt":"2026-09-01T21:01:00.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-09-01T21:02:22.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-01T21:02:22.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_5ecac4f4b361df764958211c","canonicalTitle":"好調の『SW ゼロ・カンパニー』開発のBit Reactor、発売の数週間前に従業員を一時解雇していたと海外メディア報道―資金難で開発自体も「驚くほど緊縮的」","representativeArticleId":"a_ad6b98487cade02712683ca4","sourceCount":2,"writtenSourceCount":2,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"STAR WARS ゼロ・カンパニー\"],\"studios\":[\"Bit Reactor\"],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-09-01T10:55:10.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-09-01T12:30:04.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-01T21:02:22.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Automaton","url":"https://automaton-media.com/articles/newsjp/20260901-464448/","title":"人気沸騰中のゲーム『STAR WARS ゼロ・カンパニー』、開発チームの約80％が「無給の休職状態」と報じられる。“売れれば復職”の崖っぷち状態か"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/09/01/171596.html","title":"好調の『SW ゼロ・カンパニー』開発のBit Reactor、発売の数週間前に従業員を一時解雇していたと海外メディア報道―資金難で開発自体も「驚くほど緊縮的」"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["STAR WARS ゼロ・カンパニー"],"studios":["Bit Reactor"],"people":[],"type":"news","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["EA released STAR WARS Zero Company on August 28, 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.","Game File reported that roughly 80 percent of Bit Reactor's development team was placed on unpaid furlough weeks before the game launched.","Bit Reactor's representative said the furlough decision was the studio's own, not directed by EA or Disney, and that the studio wants to restore pay and bring staff back.","Former senior technical artist Zachariah Scott, laid off in May, said about ten former employees each told him they were furloughed three weeks prior.","Bit Reactor signed a $50 million funding contract with EA in 2021 for Zero Company, and the game drew more than 77,000 concurrent Steam players after launch."]}