Respawn Entertainment has gone through a major transition in the past several years. After releasingTitanfall 2in 2016, Respawn was acquired by Electronic Arts. Since then, Respawn refocused and has put out bothApex LegendsandStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Yet despite Respawn’s new direction, its original fanbase still has hope for moreTitanfall. Today, co-founder and head of Respawn Vince Zampella had some bad news to share with thoseTitanfallfans.
Zampella, speaking with IGN, confirmed recently that there are currently noTitanfallgames in development. “It’s always there,” says Zampella, which isn’t a particularly invigorating endorsement of theTitanfallbrand. The underlying message is clear, however.Titanfall 3is not in development. And it probably isn’t going to be for a very long time.
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There is an element of surprise to Zampella’s comments, however. EA CEO Andrew Wilson had previously been quoted as saying that whileTitanfall 3isn’t in development, there is aTitanfall"premium experience" in the works. Zampella’s latest statement contradicts that, though it’s possible another studio is taking upTitanfallwhile Respawn is focused elsewhere.
The question that really deserves to be asked and answered is Respawn’s interest in making aTitanfall 3. For the time being, Respawn’s first-person shooter division isfocused entirely onApex Legends. Given the battle royale’s success, that focus likely isn’t going to change for some time. If given the chance to refocus, Respawn may not even consider making an FPS with a single-player campaign again. It might be more interested in another online multiplayer game with GAAS elements, which it has now excelled at developing.
Given the success ofApex Legendsand the relativelymediocre success ofTitanfall 2, Respawn’s new direction has certainly proven lucrative and popular. But forTitanfallfans, the new Respawn is starting to look less and less like the studio from before.
It isn’t just fans who seem to have this attitude either. Ex-Respawn senior and executive producer Drew McCoy and senior and lead programmer Jon Shiring both left the studio after the shippingApex Legends. The two have formednew studio Gravity Welland plan to scale up to the size of Respawn somewhere betweenTitanfallandTitanfall 2.Titanfall 3may not be in development, but the legacy of the franchise and the studio that made it continues.
