Bit Reactor, the Maryland studio behind Star Wars Zero Company, has started bringing furloughed developers back to work. A statement from CEO Greg Foertsch, first reported Wednesday by Game File, is the studio’s first word on the furloughs since Game File revealed them in August, and it says some of the team, not all of it, is coming back.
“This week, we started the process of returning more of our team back to work at Bit Reactor, an important step forward in our continued support for Zero Company,” Foertsch said.
He also pointed to a cause, though only in general terms. “Having to ask team members to step away after we navigated unexpected business developments outside of our control and so close to launch was an incredibly difficult decision, but one that was necessary to help us eventually bring as many people back as possible,” he said. He thanked fans “for the incredible response to the game” and said the studio looks forward to “sharing more updates regarding Bit Reactor and Zero Company soon.” He did not say what those business developments were.
How many are back
Foertsch’s statement includes no headcount and no percentage. The only gauge comes from Game File, where one person familiar with the situation said the returns bring the studio’s pay-rolled headcount to “more than half of what it had been ahead of the furloughs.” Game File’s Stephen Totilo writes that this means “a considerable number of people have been brought back, but that a fair number also remain without pay.”
That measure is staff on payroll compared with the studio’s size before the furloughs. It isn’t a share of the furloughed group, so it shouldn’t be read as “half the furloughed developers are back.” For the developers still out, Totilo notes, the furlough has now lasted about two months.
How the furloughs came to light
Game File broke the furlough story days after Zero Company launched on August 27 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The scale came from a filing dated August 12 in a lawsuit brought in 2024 by Bit Reactor co-founder Alison Kelly, who says she was a co-owner of the studio. According to Game File, that filing said Bit Reactor “has furloughed most of its employees and terminated contractors.” One source told Game File the furloughs hit 80% of the team, and another described a skeleton crew left on the active payroll to handle post-launch bugs. Game File reports that the case has been pushed to an early 2027 trial.
Furloughed workers stayed employees but went without pay or benefits. A Bit Reactor representative confirmed the furloughs to Game File at the time but declined to give their scale. The rep said the decision was the studio’s alone, not publisher Electronic Arts‘ or Star Wars license holder Disney’s. The rep also said Bit Reactor hoped to bring furloughed workers back with their pay restored.
None of Wednesday’s reports from Game File, GameSpot, or Game Developer include comment from EA or Lucasfilm Games on the returns. Bit Reactor showed off the tactics game alongside its August 27 date at Summer Game Fest in June, and it reached players to strong reviews.
What’s still unclear
The statement doesn’t say when, or whether, the remaining furloughed staff will return. Game Developer points out that neither the statement nor the reporting says whether returning or still-furloughed employees will share in profits from the game’s launch, a concern a former employee raised on LinkedIn. Game File also notes that the U.S. Department of Labor requires public reporting of mass furloughs only when they meet specific criteria, including an expectation that they’ll last more than six months.
