What’s Next for the Makers of Star Wars Outlaws?
Massive Entertainment, the powerhouse Ubisoft studio behind huge hits like The Division, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and the recently released Star Wars Outlaws, is making a dramatic shift. In a public statement, the Swedish developer announced it is “realigning teams and resources” to strengthen its focus on its flagship franchise, The Division. As part of this change, the studio has introduced a “voluntary career transition program”- a corporate term for offering employees buyouts to leave the company.
The move comes after a challenging period for its parent company, Ubisoft, which has been undergoing significant restructuring to cut costs. While Massive is a world-class studio with over 700 employees, this decision signals a major pivot back to its roots and raises serious questions about the future of its other big-name projects.
Reading Between the Corporate Lines
On the surface, the studio’s statement is about positive evolution. It emphasizes strengthening its roadmap and focusing on its core technology like the Snowdrop engine. However, the context tells a deeper story. Both Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Star Wars Outlaws, while technically impressive, reportedly underperformed against Ubisoft’s high sales expectations. In an industry focused on the bottom line, this realignment is a direct response to those results.
By offering voluntary buyouts, Massive is aiming to reduce its headcount without resorting to forced layoffs, though it’s a clear indicator that the studio is downsizing. This move is specifically targeting employees who are between projects, such as those who have recently finished work on Star Wars Outlaws. This is part of a wider trend at Ubisoft, which also saw layoffs proposed at RedLynx, the studio behind the Trials series.
All-In on The Division
The one franchise that Massive explicitly committed to is Tom Clancy’s The Division. This is the series that put the studio on the map as a leader in live-service games. In its statement, Massive confirmed it remains fully committed to its roadmap for the franchise, which is extensive:
- The Division 2: Continued support for the ongoing game.
- The Division 2: Survivors: A new chapter or expansion for the current title.
- The Division Resurgence: The upcoming mobile entry in the series.
- The Division 3: The next major installment, which is in active development.
This doubling-down shows that Ubisoft sees The Division as a reliable, long-term asset. By concentrating its resources, Massive can ensure the health and growth of its most successful original IP.
The Future of Star Wars and Avatar Looks Bleak
What’s most alarming for fans is what was left out of Massive’s statement. There was no mention of Star Wars Outlaws or Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora in its future plans. The omission is glaring. After investing years and massive resources into building these beautiful worlds for Disney and James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment, it now seems highly unlikely that Massive Entertainment will be developing sequels or major new content for either franchise.
While the games will still exist and be supported, this pivot strongly suggests that the studio’s journey into those universes has come to an end. For players who were hoping for a follow-up to Kay Vess’s story or another adventure on Pandora, this news is a major disappointment and a stark reminder of the brutal realities of AAA game development.
FAQs
What is happening at Massive Entertainment?
The Ubisoft studio is restructuring to focus primarily on the Tom Clancy’s The Division franchise. As part of this, it is offering voluntary buyouts to employees to reduce its staff size.
Is Massive Entertainment shutting down?
No, the studio is not shutting down. It is narrowing its focus and continuing development on multiple Division projects, including The Division 3.
Why is this happening?
This move follows the underperformance of recent big-budget titles like Star Wars Outlaws and is part of a larger cost-cutting and restructuring effort across Ubisoft.
Will there be a sequel to Star Wars Outlaws or Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora from Massive?
It is now highly unlikely. The studio’s public statement about its future plans conspicuously omitted any mention of these two franchises, indicating a pivot away from them.
What is a “voluntary career transition program?”
It’s a corporate term for offering employees a severance package (buyout) if they choose to leave the company willingly. It’s a way for a company to downsize without initiating forced layoffs.
Is this affecting other Ubisoft studios?
Yes, this is part of a broader trend. Ubisoft has been reducing its workforce globally, and another subsidiary, RedLynx, also announced proposed layoffs around the same time.
Conclusion
The news from Massive Entertainment is a tough pill to swallow. While it’s reassuring to see a clear and strong commitment to the future of The Division, it comes at the cost of potential sequels for two massive, fan-favorite worlds. This decision paints a clear picture of the immense pressures facing modern AAA studios, where even critically well-received games can be deemed failures if they don’t hit massive sales targets. Massive is a studio filled with incredible talent, and while their focus is narrowing for now, fans will be watching closely to see what this new chapter holds for both the studio and the agents of The Division.