Developers of an upcoming Star Wars video game, Visceral Games, to close as the project pivots

Formally known as EA Redwood Shores, Visceral Games are the developers behind games like Dead Space and Battlefield: Hardline. They've been working on an as-yet untitled Star Wars game for some time now, but it has been announced that the team "will be ramping down and closing" as that Star Wars game is taking on a new direction. 

EA are working towards "shifting as many of the team as possible to other projects and teams at EA," but there are no exact numbers on how many people will remain at EA or EA-owned studios. Visceral Games itself has only shared an image of the team as a whole since the announcement, a memorial of the studio before it closes down. 

The Star Wars game itself, which was supposedly going to feature an all-new story, was never given a full title, but was being led by Amy Hennig, who was the director and script writer on three Uncharted games. At E3 2016, a brief look at the game was given, although the release date was a somewhat tentative fiscal year 2019.

The reason for the shift in the untitled Star Wars project's focus is that EA feel it has "become clear that to deliver an experience that players will want to come back to and enjoy for a long time to come, we needed to pivot the design."

"We will maintain the stunning visuals, authenticity in the Star Wars universe, and focus on bringing a Star Wars story to life. Importantly, we are shifting the game to be a broader experience that allows for more variety and player agency, leaning into the capabilities of our Frostbite engine and reimagining central elements of the game to give players a Star Wars adventure of greater depth and breadth to explore."

The project is now being developed by a team across EA Worldwide Studios, with EA Vancouver leading the project. It's unclear whether Hennig will remain as a part of the project.

The previous aim of fiscal year 2019 is no longer the estimated release date for this game, and instead, a new timeframe will be announced in the future.