Star Wars Eclipse in danger of cancelation, claim striking Quantic Dream developers
Workers protested in Paris over proposed layoffs at the Star Wars Eclipse studio
Protesting workers at Detroit and Heavy Rain studio, Quantic Dream, have claimed that the developer will not be able to complete its Star Wars RPG, Star Wars Eclipse, if planned layoffs go ahead.
Employees of the French developer staged a strike this week outside its Paris HQ this week. The focus of the protest was Quantic Dream‘s alleged plans to lay off around 115 workers, following the failed launch of multiplayer game Spellcasters Chronicles.
The free-to-play multiplayer game was closed earlier this month, after which Quantic Dream confirmed it had initiated what it called an “internal reorganization”.
Speaking to GameKult, some of the protesting workers said the strike was also an attempt to save Star Wars Eclipse, which they claimed the studio would not be able to complete without the 115 workers allegedly set to be cut.
It’s alleged that Quantic Dream started working overtime on Star Wars Eclipse shortly after the layoff plan was announced.
“It’s far from being an act of sabotage. On the contrary, we’re trying to save Star Wars Eclipse,” said ‘Jules’, a developer working on the game. “We could manage to release it with 115 additional people, and that wouldn’t be ‘overstaffed’: it’s what’s needed.
“We’re understaffed, like in many other companies in the sector, because bosses know very well that passion will lead people to crunch time and that games will eventually be released. But it’s impossible to run a sustainable industry like that.”
The protest, called by the French labor union STJV (which also includes workers from Don’t Nod and Ubisoft), allegedly coincided with a visit by a Lucasfilm Games delegation as part of a review of Eclipse’s progress. According to another protesting worker, the strike was an opportunity to send a strong message.
“We believe that, as things stand, the game literally cannot be finished if the redundancy plan is implemented as currently scheduled,” developer ‘Théo’ said.
“We absolutely need the 115 people who have been inactive (or almost) for a month already. That’s a whole month of lost production! During that month, employees could have been trained on the specific tools of Star Wars Eclipse.
“We also want to strongly alert management and tell them to look at all these people who are eager to work but aren’t, on the day of an official visit.”
Star Wars Eclipse was announced in 2021 at The Game Awards. Little has been shared about the game since its initial reveal trailer, and the game doesn’t have a release date. It’s expected that the game will follow in the style of previous Quantic Dream games and be a narrative-focused adventure with an emphasis on player choice.
