The creative forces that envisioned the Call of Duty video games and made them into the dominant entertainment franchise they’ve become are about to visit a galaxy far, far away.
Respawn Entertainment is working on an untitled game in the Star Wars universe, the company announced late Thursday. The surprise announcement came alongside news that Electronic Arts was purchasing Respawn in a deal worth more than $400 million.
Respawn is known for the Titanfall series of games, which EA has published. But it was formed in 2010 by Vince Zampella and Jason West, who created Activision’s crown jewel franchise amid allegations of contract breaches, insubordination, and other disputes. A significant number of the pair’s team members left with them to form Respawn.
Beyond the Star Wars game, Respawn is also working on a third installment in the Titanfall series and a virtual reality gaming experience. News of the Respawn Star Wars video game comes on the heels of a recent announcement by EA that it had canceled an in-development high-profile game from its Visceral studios. That unit was shut down when the game was canceled.
EA’s decision to buy Respawn reportedly came after competing with South Korean publisher Nexon — which published a mobile Titanfall game — had approached the developer with an offer. All totaled, the EA deal, which involves cash, options, and performance-based incentives, is valued at $455 million.