Titanfall Game Canceled, Fans Mourn Series' Future

Titanfall fans received devastating news as EA canceled another incubation project at Respawn Entertainment while simultaneously conducting layoffs across its incubation, Apex Legends, Star Wars: Jedi, and EA Experience teams.

Bloomberg revealed the axed game, codenamed R7, was an extraction-style shooter set within the Titanfall universe. Though not the Titanfall 3 sequel fans have long demanded, many expressed heartbreak that the beloved Titanfall 2 remains without a follow-up nearly ten years later.

"I just fell to my knees at Walmart," one player exclaimed, while another posted: "I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE."

"How many more cancellations must we endure before they abandon these projects and leave us to grieve?" mourned another.

Not all fans viewed this as terrible news, however. Some believe an extraction shooter in the Titanfall universe would likely have failed, potentially dooming the franchise permanently.

"This cancellation might be the best outcome for the franchise's survival," argued one Reddit user. "A Titanfall extraction shooter would probably underperform, leading executives to conclude 'players simply don’t care about Titanfall anymore' rather than acknowledging nobody requested a Titanfall-themed extraction game."

"I’m actually relieved this project was canceled," another person agreed, adding: "An extraction shooter? Seriously? Good riddance."

"I’m completely exhausted by extraction shooters. They feel repetitive and dull. I don’t want to scavenge pointless items, hide in attics, or crouch in bushes for 20 minutes afraid to cross open areas. Give me fast-paced matches, wall-running action, and epic Titan battles," proposed this enthusiast.

"Felt disappointed initially. Then I read 'extraction shooter.' Suddenly felt fine about it," concluded another commenter.

The Respawn layoffs affected approximately 100 roles across development, publishing, and Apex Legends quality assurance, plus smaller teams on the Jedi series and two terminated incubation projects—one previously reported in March, and the other presumed to be the Titanfall extraction shooter.

These cuts continue a series of EA layoffs over recent years. Earlier this year, BioWare underwent restructuring, transferring developers to different projects while letting others go. The company also cut 50 positions at BioWare in 2023 and an unspecified number at Codemasters. A broader 2024 restructuring led to 670 company-wide layoffs, including approximately two dozen Respawn employees.

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In 2023, reports confirmed Respawn Entertainment had actively developed Titanfall 3 for ten months before shelving it in favor of Apex Legends.

Mohammad Alavi, who became narrative lead designer for Titanfall 3 prior to its cancellation, explained to The Burnettwork that significant progress had been made on the sequel.

“After Titanfall 2’s release and performance, we committed to developing Titanfall 3,” Alavi recalled. “We worked intensively on it for around ten months.

"We developed new technology, built several missions, and created a first playable build that matched—if not exceeded—our previous quality standards. However, it was an evolutionary improvement rather than a revolutionary leap. That distinction proved crucial.

“We felt reasonably confident about the project, but it lacked the groundbreaking excitement we experienced while developing Titanfall 2.”

So what caused the shift? Alavi cited challenges with multiplayer design—preventing player burnout—combined with the emerging Battle Royale trend sparked by PUBG’s 2017 success.

“The multiplayer team struggled to refine the experience,” Alavi noted. “While Titanfall 2’s multiplayer has a dedicated following, that audience remains relatively small. Many players found the intensity overwhelming—they enjoyed it briefly but didn’t stick with it long-term.

“We tried addressing this issue from Titanfall 1 to 2, and again while developing Titanfall 3. The multiplayer team was pushing hard to find solutions.

“Then PUBG launched.”

Respawn’s developers became more engrossed in playing a Battle Royale prototype built with Titanfall 3’s classes than testing standard multiplayer modes. This sparked a pivotal realization: instead of finishing Titanfall 3—which might have been marginally better—they should create an exceptional Battle Royale game.

“I had recently become narrative lead designer for Titanfall 3. My colleague Manny [Hagopian] and I had just presented the full story and game concept. After the holiday break, we regrouped and decided, ‘We need to pivot. We should develop this new concept instead.’

“We internally canceled Titanfall 3 because we faced a choice: create Titanfall 2 with minor enhancements, or build something truly extraordinary.

“Don’t misunderstand—I’ll always cherish Titanfall. Titanfall 2 remains my proudest achievement. But canceling the sequel was the correct decision. It was such a radical move that EA remained unaware for six months until we had a working prototype to demonstrate!”