adminBit Reactor furloughs were reportedly carried out in the weeks before the studio released Star Wars Zero Company. Sources said that around 80% of the team was affected, while a smaller group remained to handle potential post-launch bugs. The studio described the decision as difficult and said it was made before the game’s launch prospects were clear.
Image credit: Bit Reactor
Bit Reactor furloughs reportedly affected most of the team
A Bit Reactor representative said the furlough decision was not influenced by the game’s publisher or the Star Wars license holder. The representative also said the studio hoped to bring furloughed employees back, and that the game’s performance could have an impact on that possibility.
People familiar with the situation told the reporting outlet that approximately 80% of the studio’s staff had been furloughed. They described the remaining team as a skeleton crew tasked with addressing any issues that emerged after launch. The figure has been attributed to sources, rather than confirmed as an official studio headcount.
For readers following the situation, it is useful to distinguish a furlough from a confirmed permanent termination: the studio expressed hope of rehiring some workers, but did not guarantee that every affected employee would return to their former role.
Reported financial pressure and development constraints
The reported reason for the staffing decision was that Bit Reactor had used most of its available funds shortly before launching its first game. Former senior technical artist Zachariah Scott said the studio had kept the team’s financial situation out of public view and described budgets during his time there as tight.
Scott also said founder Greg Foertsch had discussed the possibility of securing another game deal to keep the studio operating. According to Scott, developers had asked for additional lightsaber animations but were told the budget would not allow them. He characterized the project’s development as unusually austere.
These comments offer one former employee’s account of the studio’s working conditions. They do not, by themselves, establish the company’s full financial position or explain every decision made during development.
Game reception and the studio’s next steps
Star Wars Zero Company received positive responses from players and critics and was reported to be second on Steam’s top sellers list at the time. Strong sales or reviews may affect a studio’s options, but neither guarantees that furloughed employees will be rehired. The studio’s statement expressed hope, while Scott said some workers he had spoken with were uncertain that everyone would regain their previous jobs.
Anyone tracking the studio’s workforce should look for direct updates from Bit Reactor, since staffing plans and sales rankings can change after publication. The reported 80% figure and the accounts about budgets should also be understood in the context of their stated sources.
A separate lawsuit discusses contractors and ownership
Furloughs and contractor terminations were also referenced in a 2024 lawsuit filed by former chief operating officer Alison Kelly. The dispute concerns whether Kelly co-owned Bit Reactor or whether Foertsch was its sole owner. Kelly alleged that Foertsch pushed her out of the company.
Kelly cited a draft operating agreement from April 2021 that proposed dividing shares among Foertsch, Kelly, and early co-founder Tom Whittaker. Whittaker and another co-founder, Steve Meyer, have since left the studio. Foertsch’s legal representatives argued that the draft was never signed and that Kelly was not an owner; they also claimed she was dismissed for poor performance. Kelly denied those claims and is seeking more than $20 million in damages.
The ownership and employment claims are allegations in an ongoing legal dispute, not established findings. Overall, the reported Bit Reactor furloughs raise questions about the studio’s resources and future staffing, but the company has not guaranteed that all affected workers will return.
