But Quantic Dream’s problems don’t end there—a real fire is raging within the studio.
The creators of Star Wars Eclipse, first discussed five years ago, are once again at the center of a scandal. The French team is preparing to cut over a hundred jobs—and this isn’t just a “streamlining.” The reasons are the failure of their last online game, which didn’t take off, plus a change of direction by their Chinese investor, NetEase. The same giant that poured around €200 million into the studio is now scaling back its AAA blockbuster program.
Compensation negotiations have reached a deadlock. Unions are already on edge, threatening to bring back the strike that nearly paralyzed the studio a year ago. And this is no exaggeration: employees openly claim that management, led by David Cage, is behaving like a miser. They’re calling the proposed severance packages “humiliating,” especially given the publisher’s own financial cushion.
Tellingly, the public complaints aren’t limited to financial ones. Developers accuse top management of stifling internal communication, hiding their own mistakes, and downplaying the team’s contributions to past hits like Detroit: Become Human. It sounds like a classic case of management blaming the rank and file while they themselves sit in a bunker.
The fate of Star Wars Eclipse is now in serious question. Five years have passed since its announcement, and the project is still stalling. Yes, Dead Island 2 went through a similar hell—and ultimately succeeded. But that was with a different team, a different publisher. Here, the picture is alarming: constant staff turnover, lawsuits, union wars. The game could either disappear without a trace or be released in a stripped-down form—a kind of “walking simulator” through the Star Wars universe that few expected.
What exactly is wrong with Quantic Dream’s management?
Layoff plans include over 100 people, even though the studio isn’t exactly the largest.
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Financial failure—the online game didn’t break even, and NetEase froze new investments.
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Conflict with unions—negotiations have broken down, and the strike could return.
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Accusations against Cage—employees are complaining of stinginess and a lack of feedback.
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Protracted development—five years, and still no finished product.
Now imagine: you’re a developer who’s been toiling away for five years on a game set in a cult universe, and in response, you’re faced with layoffs and meager severance pay. How long do you think such a team can last?
Incidentally, insiders are saying that some key designers are already updating their resumes. And this seems to be just the beginning.
The only question is who will blink first—Cage or the unions. Meanwhile, Star Wars Eclipse continues to gather dust on the shelf, with fans wondering if it will even be released anytime soon. Is it a coincidence that the industry is currently experiencing a boom in long-term projects? Hardly.
