Star Wars Zero Company, an XCOM-like title developed by Bit Reactor in partnership with Respawn Entertainment, has reportedly sold over one million units in its first month since launching on August 27. This estimate comes from data firm Alinea Analytics, which suggests the game has generated approximately $50 million in revenue.
Alinea Analytics stated that sales were distributed across platforms, with Steam accounting for 69.9%, PlayStation for 19.9%, and Xbox for 10.2% (including PC via Xbox). While publisher EA has not yet officially confirmed these figures, the milestone is notable for the debut project from an untested studio.
The success of Star Wars Zero Company is also highlighted in the context of other recent AA releases, such as The Blood of Dawnwalker, which also reportedly crossed the one million sales mark. Critics have praised Zero Company for its solid gameplay, robust systems, and engaging storytelling, suggesting it performs above expectations given its apparent budget.
However, the game's sales success stands in contrast to the financial difficulties experienced by its developer, Bit Reactor. In the lead-up to the game's launch, reports indicated that the studio furloughed up to 80% of its staff due to a lack of funds. A skeleton crew was reportedly retained for post-release support. Furthermore, the studio is facing a lawsuit from its former chief financial officer concerning company management and ownership disputes.
It remains unclear what the exact process will be for potentially re-hiring furloughed employees or if these furloughs will become permanent layoffs. This situation could be influenced by the specifics of the publishing agreement with EA and the revenue thresholds the game must meet for Bit Reactor to begin profiting. As of now, the resolution to the studio's staffing issues remains uncertain.