Nearly a week has passed since Star Wars Zero Company received mostly positive reviews, but most of its developers may not see a paycheck despite the game’s success. A recent report from Game File reveals that the majority of Bit Reactor’s developers working on Star Wars Zero Company were placed on furlough just before the game’s launch.
According to the detailed article, a representative from Bit Reactor contacted the publication and disclosed that nearly 80% of the team behind Zero Company are now off the company’s payroll and had been furloughed ahead of the release.
Only a small core team remains to handle any post-launch issues that might come up. Even though Zero Company debuted with a solid 79% positive rating on Steam, most of the development team isn’t celebrating.
Images show clones, troopers, and mercenaries from the game, highlighting its Star Wars-themed gameplay.
The source mentioned that Bit Reactor ran out of funds shortly before the game’s launch. The exact reasons for the financial difficulties are unclear, especially when compared to recent leaks related to GTA 6 that caused Take-Two’s stock to drop by over $2 billion.
Some furloughed employees, like Zachariah Scott, took to LinkedIn to share that Bit Reactor was “hiding the fact that the team was furloughed weeks ago.” Meanwhile, senior team members, particularly executives, were publicly praising the hard work of the developers behind Zero Company’s success.
What’s confirmed is that a legal document from 2024 references a 2021 funding agreement with Electronic Arts valued at $50 million for the game. However, the actual or final budget for Zero Company hasn’t been confirmed, and it appears the project may have fallen short of that financial goal.
An image of Zachariah Scott on LinkedIn underscores this point.
Legal issues are also brewing behind the scenes. The company’s co-founders, Alison Kelly and Greg Foertsch, are embroiled in a lawsuit. Kelly claims she was a co-owner and that Foertsch gradually pushed her out, leading her to seek more than $20 million in damages. Additionally, a separate lawsuit in the Netherlands against Sony remains ongoing.
This legal battle was originally scheduled for trial in June 2026, prior to the game’s launch, but it has now been postponed until 2027. The delay might give Bit Reactor a chance to recover some losses from the game’s sales, but the outcome remains uncertain.
The studio’s goal is to rehire furloughed employees with their pay restored, but doubts remain. Given the upcoming trial and the niche market of Star Wars Zero Company, sales could be limited—even though EA moved to privatize earlier this year.