Quantic Dream Says Star Wars Eclipse Still on Track Amid Layoffs and Strikes
Quantic Dream says Star Wars Eclipse is still moving forward, even as the studio faces layoffs and workers on strike warn the project could be shut down.
Just last month, Quantic Dream canceled its live-service title, Spellcasters Chronicles, barely three months after the game entered early access. The Paris-based studio, known for narrative single-player experiences like Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, and Detroit: Become Human, stated that the shutdown would lead to job cuts. However, it has not publicly detailed how many roles would be impacted.
When Spellcasters Chronicles was ended, Quantic Dream emphasized that work on Star Wars Eclipse would continue “as normal.” Still, a report from the French site gamekult claims Eclipse is dealing with a “lack of resources, vision, and progress,” and may not survive unless staff from Spellcasters Chronicles are reassigned to help push the Star Wars project to completion.
gamekult also reports that Quantic Dream is considering layoffs affecting 115 employees—described as roughly one-quarter of the company’s workforce—after the Spellcasters Chronicles cancellation. That decision, in turn, reportedly triggered a strike coordinated by the STJV union outside Quantic Dream’s Paris headquarters. The striking workers say they want to protect Star Wars Eclipse, arguing that at least some of the Spellcasters Chronicles developers who are expected to lose their jobs will be necessary to finish Eclipse without forcing remaining teams into punishing crunch.
On the day the strike began, June 25, gamekult adds that a Lucasfilm delegation was scheduled to visit Quantic Dream to review Eclipse’s status. The protesters, according to the report, wanted to deliver a warning: if the redundancy plan goes ahead, Eclipse “cannot be finished.” gamekult framed it this way, describing the situation as a “saving the company from a very painful cancellation,” with the outcome still hanging over employees “like a sword of Damocles.”
Quantic Dream has now released a new statement to IGN, insisting that the team behind Star Wars Eclipse has what it needs to complete the game.
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“As previously stated, the development of Star Wars Eclipse remains unaffected by the recent closure of Spellcasters Chronicles, a decision driven by the challenging market conditions in that segment,” a Quantic Dream spokesperson said.
“The development of Star Wars Eclipse is continuing as planned, with the full commitment of its team and all the necessary resources to complete its mission.
“Our priority is to ensure that employees affected by the restructuring process receive the appropriate support, care, and consideration. Out of respect for this ongoing process and for the employees concerned, we will not provide any further comment at this stage.”
Quantic Dream’s consultation with affected employees is still underway, but the studio’s latest message is unlikely to ease concerns from players—or from the developers who may be facing layoffs. STJV is pushing for the company to sign a majority agreement with the union, which it says would limit the number of people losing their jobs. In that scenario, the remaining staff would largely shift their work toward getting Eclipse finished and shipped.
Star Wars Eclipse was announced in 2021 with a high-production cinematic trailer. The game is expected to blend Quantic Dream’s signature story-driven approach with an action-adventure structure set during the Star Wars High Republic era. Beyond that, information remains scarce. In recent years, Quantic Dream has mostly commented on the project only to counter rumors about trouble in development and delays—while there have also been suggestions the studio struggled to hire staff following prior workplace allegations. Even now, five years after its reveal, Star Wars Eclipse still has no release window.
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Last year, Quantic Dream addressed fears about potential closures after NetEase—its Chinese parent—scaled back western video game investments. In a statement shared on LinkedIn, Quantic Dream CEO and head of publishing Guillaume de Fondaumière said he was “deeply saddened” by layoffs and studio shutdowns affecting parts of the NetEase group. He also reassured players that Quantic’s studios in Paris and Montreal were “unaffected.”
“[Quantic president] David Cage and I would like to express our gratitude to the fans and friends who have reached out to us in recent days regarding Quantic Dream,” de Fondaumière wrote. “We want to reassure everyone that our studios in Paris and Montreal remain unaffected. We are continuing to develop our projects at full pace, with several open positions available in both locations.”
De Fondaumière added that even though NetEase acquired Quantic Dream as a fully owned subsidiary in 2022, “Quantic Dream remains committed to the strategy outlined by David and I in 2019.” He also said, “NetEase has been a dedicated partner, providing us with creative freedom and the financial resources necessary for our studio to grow and strive.”
The CEO further claimed that the studio’s back-catalog delivered an “exceptional performance,” helping drive what he described as the “highest revenue in [the company’s] history” during 2024.
“The developments of our current projects are progressing as planned, and we are fully committed to delivering and launching these innovative, high-quality titles in the future,” de Fondaumière said. However, he did not offer any concrete update about Quantic Dream’s upcoming Star Wars game, Star Wars: Eclipse.
In March, it was reported that NetEase cut off funding to the studio led by Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi as part of a plan to reduce its video game development footprint. Nagoshi’s project, Gang of Dragon, now appears to have been canceled.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
