Respawn morale hits all-time low after Black Panther game is axed and studio closure

Bungie isn't the only development studio experiencing morale at an all-time low, as now, Respawn Entertainment is reportedly experiencing low employee morale after 100 staff were laid off and two games were canceled.

2

The news of the Black Panther game being canceled and the development studio Cliffhanger Games being shut down has spread to Respawn. Some employees at the studio are so concerned that they are now taking to social media to voice their concerns.

Patrick Wren, a senior encounter designer at Respawn, took to Bluesky to write, "Morale has been at an all-time low. I can say that much." Wren added, "I am just sorry for everyone who just wants to make cool video games in this industry."

The employees at Respawn have more than enough reason to be concerned, as there have been approximately 2,300 known layoffs in the video games industry across 64 companies in just 2025, with that number possibly being closer to 3,000 when taking into account unconfirmed job losses.

As for Bungie, following the fallout of the studio confirming it had stolen art pieces from an independent artist and used them as assets in the upcoming title, Marathon. Now, Marathon is currently undergoing a full investigation for any stolen art designs, and employees at the studio are reportedly extremely low on morale.