Star Wars Eclipse, the long-secret Quantic Dream project, could be in danger of cancellation if a proposed redundancy plan goes ahead, according to developers who spoke out during a French games-industry strike this week. The warning came as union STJV called for national industrial action, beginning with a picket line outside the Detroit: Become Human studio.
Why developers say the game is in danger
The union claims 115 roles are at risk as part of an internal reorganisation at Quantic Dream. Speaking to Gamekult, via VGC, a developer using the name Jules framed the strike not as sabotage but as an attempt to protect the project, arguing the studio is understaffed rather than overstaffed.
Jules described a wider pattern across the sector, where studios lean heavily on staff passion and crunch to push games over the finish line. "It's impossible to run a sustainable industry like that," the developer said, pushing back on the idea that the cuts merely trim excess headcount.
A second developer, named as Theo, was blunter still, saying the game "literally cannot be finished" if the redundancy plan proceeds as scheduled without the 115 affected staff. Theo described the strike as an opportunity to send a strong message, framing the action as a defence of the project rather than a threat to it.
Theo added that those workers had already been largely inactive for around a month, calling it a whole month of lost production that could have been spent training people on the game's specific tools. For more on studio closures and labour disputes, see our latest gaming coverage.
What we know about Star Wars Eclipse
The protest reportedly coincided with a visit from Lucasfilm Games to check on the project's progress, adding pressure to an already tense moment for the studio. Here is what has been confirmed so far:
- Star Wars Eclipse was first revealed in 2021.
- Aside from some leaked images, little has been shown publicly since.
- The game is set during the High Republic era, when the Jedi were far more numerous than in the films.
- Players will reportedly take on the roles of various characters.
That long silence has fed years of speculation about the project's health, and this week's reports give that speculation a concrete shape for the first time.
Why this dispute matters
Part of what makes the warning striking is the developers' insistence that cutting staff would not streamline the game but doom it. That inverts the usual corporate logic of restructuring, where layoffs are framed as efficiency. Here, the people building the game argue the opposite, that the team is already too small for the scope.
Quantic Dream has faced scrutiny before, having previously been accused of abusive working conditions, allegations the studio denied. It remains unclear what conditions are like internally today beyond these recent reports. The dispute lands at a moment when job security across the industry is already a flashpoint, a theme that keeps surfacing in tech business news. For now, the fate of one of the most anticipated Star Wars games hangs on the outcome of the reorganisation.
Star Wars Eclipse layoffs FAQ
How many jobs are at risk at Quantic Dream?
The union STJV says 115 roles are threatened by an internal reorganisation, which developers warn would make finishing Star Wars Eclipse impossible.
Has Star Wars Eclipse been cancelled?
No cancellation has been confirmed. Developers warn the game "cannot be finished" if the layoffs proceed, but the outcome depends on the reorganisation.
When was Star Wars Eclipse announced?
It was revealed in 2021 and is set in the High Republic era. Beyond leaked images, very little has been shown publicly since. Follow the latest news for updates.
