Starbreeze has canceled Challenge Baxter, its co-op Dungeons & Dragons recreation, laid off a good portion of its improvement crew, and introduced plans to double down on its Payday franchise.
Challenge Baxter was introduced in December 2023 as an Unreal Engine 5 D&D recreation that may “carry the signature Starbreeze cornerstones of co-operative multiplayer, lifetime dedication by way of a Video games as a Service-model, group engagement and a bigger than life expertise.”
The plan then was to launch Challenge Baxter on all main platforms in 2026 with crossplay. However information has been scarce, with a social media submit exhibiting off a single in-engine picture in September 2024.
In November final 12 months, Starbreeze mentioned it was nonetheless hiring for Challenge Baxter, with work on the sport persevering with “at full velocity.” “Internally, we now have weekly playtests of Baxter, and energetic discussions with various industry-leading gamers relating to potential collaborations round Baxter’s improvement and launch,” the studio mentioned on the time. As of November 2024, Starbreeze had 191 whole staff, most of which have been based mostly at its head workplace in Stockholm, Sweden.
The choice to cancel Challenge Baxter has price the Swedish firm SEK 255 million (approx. $27.2 million) in a write-down of improvement prices.
CEO Adolf Kristjansson referred to as it a “troublesome however obligatory resolution,” however failed to say any specific points with the event of Challenge Baxter that may have factored in.
“Our technique is obvious: Payday is likely one of the most iconic IPs in gaming, with unmatched attain and potential,” Kristjansson mentioned in a ready assertion. “By focusing our funding and expertise right here, we are able to speed up supply, have interaction gamers with extra content material, and reinforce Starbreeze’s place because the clear chief within the heisting style. That is about sharpening our focus to create the strongest long-term worth for our gamers, our folks, and our shareholders.”
“Half” of the Baxter crew can be redeployed throughout Starbreeze’s tasks, principally inside Payday, however round 44 full-time staff throughout workers and contractors will lose their jobs.
“We’re doubling down on what our gamers love – and what we do greatest – proudly owning the heisting style,” Kristjansson continued. “Payday is greater than a recreation — it’s a style we created and proceed to steer. By redeploying expertise and capital, we are able to carry innovation to heisting gameplay sooner, whereas additionally laying the muse for the long run enlargement of the style.”
Starbreeze mentioned Payday has had greater than 50 million gamers worldwide and generated near SEK 4 billion (approx. $427 million) in lifetime gross income.
“With elevated focus and sources, Starbreeze will speed up its roadmap, delivering extra frequent updates, new content material drops, and steady live-engagement,” the corporate mentioned. “The discontinuation of Baxter, mixed with an elevated give attention to the Payday franchise, will allow Starbreeze to turn into cash-flow optimistic in 2026.”
Kristjansson added: “I need to sincerely thank the Baxter crew for his or her ardour and creativity, and specific appreciation to Wizards of the Coast for his or her assist. Although we now have made the choice to not proceed ahead with this venture, we’re happy with what was achieved in Baxter, and people contributions will carry ahead into Payday and the way forward for Starbreeze. By concentrating our efforts on Payday we give Starbreeze and all our staff the perfect probability to succeed.”
So, what does the long run maintain for Starbreeze? The 12-year-old Payday 2 nonetheless has considerably extra gamers than Payday 3 on Steam, however the developer insisted Payday 3 “is being developed right into a scalable live-engagement platform to have interaction thousands and thousands of gamers worldwide.” The Payday 3 crew will develop to about 50 staff earlier than the tip of the 12 months “and proceed to develop according to elevated participant engagement.”
In the meantime, Starbreeze mentioned it has new heist video games within the works, too, together with spinoffs and narrative-driven tasks, and plans to develop Payday into new platforms. In the meantime, it’s providing its companies as a work-for-hire studio.
Wesley is Director, Information at IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You’ll be able to attain Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].