Payday developer Starbreeze scraps its Dungeons & Dragons game and announces layoffs

Starbreeze Studios has announced it has ceased development of its Dungeons & Dragons project in order to focus on the Payday series, prompting layoffs at the studio.

The details:

• The Swedish developer announced in a new press release that “Project Baxter,” its Dungeons & Dragons game originally announced in 2023, has been scrapped following a "strategic review" during which its leadership decided that resources are better spent on the Payday series. “This was a difficult but necessary decision,” CEO Adolf Kristjansson said. “Our strategy is clear: PAYDAY is one of the most iconic IPs in gaming, with unmatched reach and potential. By focusing our investment and talent here, we can accelerate delivery, engage players with more content, and reinforce Starbreeze’s position as the clear leader in the heisting genre. This is about sharpening our focus to create the strongest long-term value for our players, our people, and our shareholders.”
• While the studio has said that some of the D&D team have been moved over to work on Payday, it confirmed that it is letting go of 44 employees and contractors and that it would “provide active support for affected employees to transition to new roles across the industry."
• Starbreeze's decision to continue focusing on the Payday franchise is unsurprising given that it has long been the company's largest franchise. 2023 saw the disastrous launch of Payday 3, which has continued to struggle due to its always-online structure, lack of content, and various technical issues. However, after Kristjansson stepped into the CEO role and the developer acquired the game’s publishing rights, it said that it plans to "significantly accelerate [its] content development roadmap and pursue broader strategic opportunities for the Payday franchise as a whole."