Star Wars Zero Company staff ‘returning to work’ after being furloughed pre-release
Bit Reactor says its paying furloughed developers again
Star Wars Zero Company developer Bit Reactor says it’s started returning some of its staff who were furloughed ahead of its release in late August.
Around 80% of Bit Reactor’s staff were reportedly sidelined without pay ahead of its release, because the studio was running out of money.
Now, according to CEO Greg Foertsch, staff have begun returning to work. According to Newzoo, Zero Company was the sixth-best PC game of August in the six major Western gaming markets, ranked by revenue.
“This week, we started the process of returning more of our team back to work at Bit Reactor, an important step forward in our continued support for Zero Company,” Foertsch said in a statement.
“Having to ask team members to step away after we navigated unexpected business developments outside of our control and so close to launch was an incredibly difficult decision, but one that was necessary to help us eventually bring as many people back as possible.
“This team means a tremendous amount to me, and I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together. Thank you to our fans for the incredible response to the game and for supporting us along this journey. We look forward to sharing more updates regarding Bit Reactor and Zero Company soon.”
According to Game File sources, the staff returns announced today bring Bit Reactor’s pay-rolled headcount to more than half of what it was ahead of the furloughs, meaning many workers remain without pay.
One former Bit Reactor employee wrote last month: “It is a gross but all too common sight to see, another corporate game hitting the top of Steam while the team is left looking for work and cut off from any possible profit sharing.
“It would be such a different story if they had been upfront about it earlier, and now it feels like they’re trying to keep the team in a holding pattern with good vibes and more empty promises.”
