Titanfall Fans Grieve Axed Extraction Shooter, Titanfall 3 Future in Doubt

Titanfall enthusiasts are devastated by EA's decision to scrap another incubation project at Respawn Entertainment, alongside job cuts affecting teams working on incubation, Apex Legends, Star Wars: Jedi, and EA Experience.

Bloomberg revealed the axed game, codenamed R7, was an extraction shooter based in the Titanfall universe. Though not the Titanfall 3 sequel fans longed for, many are heartbroken that Titanfall 2 remains without a follow-up nearly ten years later.

"I just collapsed to my knees at Walmart," shared one distraught player, while another posted: "I CAN'T HANDLE THIS."

"How long must we endure this cycle before they abandon it completely?" mourned another fan.

Not all view this as negative news—some believe an extraction shooter might have damaged the franchise irreparably.

"This cancellation may have saved Titanfall," argued one Reddit user. "A failed spin-off could have convinced executives nobody cares about Titanfall, when in reality, nobody wanted an extraction shooter."

"I’m relieved," replied another, adding: "An extraction shooter? Thank goodness it’s canceled."

"I’m exhausted by extraction shooters—they’re repetitive and dull. Give me fast-paced battles, wall-running, and titan warfare," demanded a passionate fan.

"Initially upset, then realized it was an extraction shooter. Crisis averted," concluded someone else.

The layoffs impacted approximately 100 Respawn employees across Apex Legends' development, publishing, and QA teams, plus smaller groups on Star Wars: Jedi and two canceled projects—one reported earlier this year, the other likely being the Titanfall extraction shooter.

These cuts follow EA’s recent restructuring, including BioWare’s reorganization (reassigning some developers while letting others go), 50 BioWare layoffs in 2023, an undisclosed number at Codemasters, and 670 company-wide job losses in 2024 (including about two dozen at Respawn).

Should Respawn Develop Titanfall 3?

Absolutely—the franchise deserves a true sequelNo—Titanfall’s era has passedIt depends (share your thoughts below)

AnswerSee Results

In 2023, reports confirmed Respawn worked seriously on Titanfall 3 for 10 months before pivoting to Apex Legends.

Mohammad Alavi, former Titanfall 3 narrative lead, revealed to The Burnettwork that significant progress had been made.

“After Titanfall 2’s release, we committed to Titanfall 3,” Alavi explained. “For ten months, we developed new tech, crafted missions, and built a playable prototype rivaling—if not surpassing—our previous work. But crucially, it was evolutionary, not revolutionary.”

“We felt confident, but lacked Titanfall 2’s groundbreaking energy.”

The multiplayer team struggled to address burnout issues, while PUBG’s 2017 success reshaped priorities.

“Titanfall 2’s multiplayer thrilled its niche audience,” Alavi noted, “but most players found it too intense for long-term engagement.”

When Respawn’s developers became more engrossed in testing Titanfall-themed Battle Royale prototypes than traditional multiplayer modes, the studio made a pivotal decision.

“We chose to abandon Titanfall 3—a potentially superior sequel—to create something extraordinary,” Alavi recalled. “It was painful, but correct. EA didn’t even know until six months later when we had a playable demo.”