{
  "id": 12738620,
  "title": "Bit Reactor CEO Welcomes Return of Some Furloughed Staff for 'Continued Support' of Star Wars Zero Company",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/bit-reactor-ceo-welcomes-return-of-some-furloughed-staff-for",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-07T22:52:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IGN",
    "slug": "ign",
    "url": "https://www.ign.com/articles/bit-reactor-ceo-welcomes-return-of-some-furloughed-staff-for-continued-support-of-star-wars-zero-company"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Bit Reactor, the creator of Star Wars Zero Company, has started bringing some of its employees back to work after placing an estimated 80% of the workforce on furlough just before the game's release. CEO Greg Foertsch announced the news on October 7, stating that the furloughs were a necessary step to eventually rehire as many people as possible. Foertsch emphasized that returning these staff members was an important milestone in the studio's ongoing support for Zero Company and that they are eager to share further updates soon.\n\nFoertsch admitted that the decision to furlough many team members, after navigating unexpected business challenges close to the launch date, was a tough one. He expressed his pride in the team's accomplishments and appreciation to the fans for their support throughout the ordeal. According to sources familiar with the situation, the number of Bit Reactor's paid employees has now reached over half of what it was prior to the furloughs, leaving many others still without paychecks. Despite the challenges, Star Wars Zero Company launched in August 2026, earning high praise for its tactical gameplay, cinematic visuals reminiscent of Respawn's Star Wars Jedi games, and its refreshingly inclusive storyline centered around non-Force users and a non-traditional villain. The game development industry has seen this trend of temporary furloughs before, with Gears of War: E-Day developers also facing threats of layoffs due to the intense crunch period leading up to the game's release. This latest development about Zero Company comes on the heels of GameFile's discovery of legal documents indicating the game was initially conceived as a Titanfall universe title with connections to Apex Legends, though this proposal ultimately did not materialize.",
  "summary": "Bit Reactor, the developer of Star Wars Zero Company, has begun returning some of its staff to the team after furloughing an estimated 80% of employees just before the game’s launch.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}