Respawn Entertainment is an American video game developer based in Los Angeles, California, founded in April 2010 by Vince Zampella and Jason West following their departure from Infinity Ward amid a legal dispute with Activision. Zampella and West were the creative leads behind Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare 2 at Infinity Ward, and several dozen Infinity Ward developers followed them to Respawn. EA acquired the studio in December 2017 for approximately $315 million. Respawn’s catalog spans multiplayer shooters, a battle royale, single-player action RPGs, and a VR Star Wars title, making it one of the more genre-diverse studios in EA’s portfolio.
Titanfall released in March 2014 as an Xbox One and PC exclusive published by EA, a multiplayer-only first-person shooter built around fluid parkour movement and the ability to call in and pilot giant mechs called Titans. It received strong reviews for its movement system and gameplay feel, though its lack of a single-player campaign drew criticism. Titanfall 2, released in October 2016 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, addressed that by adding a single-player campaign that is widely regarded as one of the best FPS campaigns of its generation, with creative level design and a time-manipulation mechanic. Titanfall 2 underperformed commercially, released between Battlefield 1 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare in a single week, and EA has not greenlit a Titanfall 3.
Apex Legends launched without prior announcement on February 4, 2019, a free-to-play battle royale set in the Titanfall universe. It reached 25 million players in its first week and 50 million in its first month. The game distinguished itself from other battle royales with its ping communication system, which allowed teammates to communicate without voice chat, and its diverse roster of characters with distinct abilities. It has since grown to over 150 million registered players and continues to receive seasonal content updates. Apex Legends is Respawn’s biggest commercial success and one of EA’s most significant ongoing live service games.
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order released in November 2019, a single-player action adventure following a Padawan who survived Order 66. It received strong reviews for its combat, world design, and the way it handled the Star Wars universe’s post-Revenge of the Sith period. It sold over ten million copies in its first year. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor released in April 2023 as a direct sequel, receiving strong critical reception and selling well, though its PC performance at launch drew significant criticism before patches improved it.
Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond released in December 2020 as a VR exclusive for the Oculus Rift, a World War II shooter that received mixed reviews. In March 2023 EA laid off around 50 Respawn employees following the cancellation of an unannounced project. The studio retains teams working on Apex Legends and the Jedi series. Stig Asmussen, director of Fallen Order and Survivor, departed in 2024 to found a new studio, with the next Jedi game’s direction not yet publicly confirmed.