Bit Reactor Rehires Staff After Star Wars Zero Company Furloughs

Remember when Star Wars Zero Company launched earlier this year and a huge chunk of the dev team was suddenly without pay? Well, there's finally some good news.

Bit Reactor, the studio behind the game, furloughed over 80% of its staff right as Zero Company was hitting shelves. The reason? Sales uncertainty. So while you were enjoying the game, many of the people who made it were technically still employed but not getting paid. Rough, right?

Earlier this week on Bluesky, the studio announced it's begun undoing that "difficult decision" (via gamesindustry.biz). CEO Greg Foertsch explained that the furloughs were a response to "unexpected business developments outside of our control," but that the move was "necessary to help us eventually bring as many people back as possible." Sounds like a tough call, but at least it's now being reversed.

According to Game File, an unnamed source familiar with the situation says the developer's payroll is back up to more than half of what it was before the furloughs. That's a solid step in the right direction, though there's still a way to go.

When the furloughs first happened, Game File reported that 80% of Bit Reactor employees were affected, which really hamstrung post-launch support. The decision was made by Bit Reactor itself, not publisher EA. Despite some launch issues (which were addressed in a patch shortly after release), the game shot up the Steam best seller's list and got a glowing review from PC Gamer's Ted Litchfield, who called it "a new all-timer Star Wars game and a stunning debut for Bit Reactor."

So what does this mean for you? If you're a fan of Zero Company, the return of more staff could mean better support and future updates. It's a positive sign for a studio that clearly made a big splash with its first game.

What do you think about Bit Reactor's decision to furlough staff and now bring them back? Will you be picking up Star Wars Zero Company if you haven't already?