Employees at Quantic Dream have raised concerns about the development status of their upcoming Star Wars game, "Eclipse," citing significant understaffing and internal management issues. The developers have initiated a series of protests, aiming to bring attention to what they describe as a project struggling to progress due to a lack of personnel.
The studio, known for narrative-driven titles like "Detroit: Become Human," revealed "Star Wars: Eclipse" with a cinematic trailer in 2021. Since then, details have been scarce, with studio founder David Cage offering only brief assurances that development continues. This perceived lack of progress has been exacerbated by the cancellation of Quantic Dream's concurrent live-service MOBA, "Spellcaster Chronicles," in May. Employees argue that the 115 staff who worked on the cancelled project are essential for "Star Wars: Eclipse" and that their layoff will jeopardize the game's completion.
"It's far from being an act of sabotage. On the contrary, we're trying to save Star Wars Eclipse," a developer identified as Jules stated. "We could manage to release it with 115 additional people, and that wouldn't be 'overstaffed': it's what's needed. We're understaffed, like in many other companies in the sector, because bosses know very well that passion will lead people to crunch time and that games will eventually be released. But it's impossible to run a sustainable industry like that."
Further complicating matters is Quantic Dream's ownership by NetEase, acquired in 2022. Employees have expressed frustration with management's alleged refusal to involve NetEase in negotiations, despite claims that the parent company made the decision to end "Spellcaster Chronicles." "We've already indicated that we want to talk to NetEase," said an employee named Théo, "but Quantic Dream's management is preventing us. We've explicitly asked for them to be at the negotiating table, since we're often told: 'Oh no, that decision depends on NetEase, that's NetEase's budget…' Fine, then bring NetEase in!"
The ongoing protests, referred to as "Summer Strike Fest," are intended to continue until around September. The primary objective remains convincing management that "Star Wars: Eclipse," described by David Cage as a highly ambitious project, cannot reach its full potential without the additional staff from the now-defunct "Spellcaster Chronicles" team. "So let him give us the means to achieve his ambitions," Théo added.