“Star Wars: Zero Company” has a Metacritic score of 85 points, an overall positive rating of 78%, and nearly 78,000 people online on Steam, making it one of the top Star Wars games. But it turns out its creators appreciated high ratings without the money.
Game File’s Steven Totilo highlighted the Bit Reactor situation. The situation was shocking: Just three weeks before the hit film was to be released, most of the team was furloughed. The contract with the contractor has been terminated. A representative from the cash-strapped studio confirmed the news: Bit Reactor itself made this difficult decision even before the launch was going to be successful.
The studio hopes to reinstate furloughed employees in their old roles and restore their pay as Zero Company succeeds. This is backed by Respawn, EA and Lucasfilm Games. Scale remains behind the scenes: one source of game files reports that 80% of staff are idle, while another notes that only a small team is left to fix bugs.
The situation was covered up and first became known due to the legal battle between Alison Kelly and Greg Ferch: in 2021, they co-founded Bit Reactor. Kelly served as director of operations until 2024, when she was reportedly forced to leave the studio. Now, ex-comrades are arguing over whether Kelly is a co-owner of the company and whether she is entitled to $20 million in damages. The hearing was postponed until early 2027.
