On October 8, Bit Reactor, the developer of *STAR WARS Zero Company*, announced via its official X account that it is taking steps to reinstate employees who had been temporarily laid off.
About 80% of Staff Temporarily Laid Off Just Before Launch
Released on August 28, *Star Wars: Zero Company* is a full-fledged strategy game that got off to a strong start, earning high scores in international reviews and amassing over 10,000 reviews on Steam shortly after launch.
However, the overseas media outlet “Game File” reported on September 1 that the company was facing financial difficulties and had temporarily laid off a large number of employees (approximately 80 percent, according to some sources) three weeks before the game’s release; Bit Reactor has also acknowledged that the temporary layoffs did occur.
In an October 8 social media post under the name of Bit Reactor CEO Greg Foertsch, he stated, “It was a difficult decision to ask team members to take a temporary leave of absence just before the launch of ‘SW Zero Company’ due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control.However, it was also necessary in order to ultimately bring many staff members back to work.”
In an interview with “Game File,” which reported on the temporary layoffs, a former employee said at the time, “Even if there were a chance to return, I don’t really think everyone who was temporarily laid off will be able to get their old jobs back.”
Mr. Foertsch’s recent post also states that the goal is to “rehire as many people as possible,” but does not promise the return of everyone. It remains unclear how many staff members will ultimately be rehired.
“STAR WARS: Zero Company” is currently available for PC (Steam/Epic GamesStore /EA app),PS5, andXBOX Series X|S.
