Star Wars: Zero Company devs left without pay, report claims, with "most" staff furloughed prior to launch

In the days leading up to the launch of Star Wars Zero Company, developers Bit Reactor reportedly furloughed the majority of their team, leaving those staff members without pay. According to a report by Game File, 80% of the game's development team was affected by these furloughs, which occurred just weeks before the game's official release.

The furloughed employees continue to be employed by Bit Reactor but are not receiving their regular salaries. The report suggests that Bit Reactor ran out of funds shortly before the game's launch, leading to the furloughs, while a small group of developers remained on the payroll to address any post-launch bugs.

A spokesperson for Bit Reactor clarified that the decision to furlough the staff was solely theirs, not mandated by the game's publishers, EA. They expressed hope of rehiring the furloughed staff at a later date. The success of Zero Company's launch may have influenced the decision to bring the furloughed employees back on the payroll, as stated by the spokesperson.

Zachariah Scott, a former technical artist who was reportedly fired from Bit Reactor in acrimonious circumstances in May, has accused the company of concealing the furloughs in a LinkedIn post. He told Game File that furloughed staff he had spoken to were uncertain about returning to their previous roles if Bit Reactor could bring some employees back on board.

The news of the furloughs has come to light due to legal proceedings between Bit Reactor co-founders Greg Foertsch and Alison Kelly. Kelly has filed a lawsuit against Foertsch, primarily concerning ownership of the studio. The trial is scheduled to commence in early 2027, with both parties currently engaged in filing and contesting various claims against each other.