Respawn Entertainment

Respawn Entertainment, LLC
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Video games
Founded	2010; 16 years ago
Founder	Jason West, Vince Zampella
Headquarters	United States, United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Peter Hirschmann (leader of FPS project), Ryan Burnett (head of Madison studio)
Products	Titanfall series, Apex Legends, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Owner	Electronic Arts
Parent	Electronic Arts

Respawn Entertainment, LLC is a United States-based video game developer established in 2010 by Jason West and Vince Zampella. Since 2017, it has operated as a subsidiary of Electronic Arts. West and Zampella, originally co-founders of Infinity Ward and the minds behind the Call of Duty series, created Respawn after parting ways with Activision.

The studio made its initial impact with the first-person shooter Titanfall, launched in 2014. Following its acquisition by EA on December 1, 2017, Respawn released its first title under EA ownership, the free-to-play battle royale Apex Legends, in February 2019. Later that year, in November, the company introduced the story-driven Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Respawn also ventured into virtual reality with Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond, distinguished by featuring the Academy Award-winning short documentary Colette.

History

Jason West and Vince Zampella were key figures at Infinity Ward, a pivotal studio behind the Call of Duty franchise under Activision, garnering acclaim with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in 2007. Disputes concerning contractual bonuses and creative autonomy led to their termination from Activision in 2010, resulting in legal disputes that were resolved out of court.

In April 2010, with financial support from EA Partners and retaining their intellectual property rights, West and Zampella founded Respawn Entertainment. The studio attracted numerous former Infinity Ward employees, enhancing its development capabilities. EA positioned Respawn’s forthcoming title as a science fiction shooter aimed to compete with franchises like Halo and Gears of War.

West left the company in March 2013 for personal reasons. During this period, Respawn filed trademarks indicating ongoing work on new intellectual properties. The company unveiled Titanfall at E3 2013 and released it in March 2014; its sequel, Titanfall 2, followed in October 2016.

In June 2014, experienced industry professional Stig Asmussen joined Respawn as game director for a project unrelated to Titanfall. This project was later revealed as the third-person action-adventure game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, announced at E3 2018.

Respawn broadened its scope into virtual reality by announcing a VR first-person shooter for Oculus Rift, which was officially disclosed as Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond in 2019.

EA completed its acquisition of Respawn in late 2017 for $151 million in cash plus up to $164 million in equity, incorporating the studio into its worldwide operations.

In February 2019, Respawn surprised the gaming community by releasing Apex Legends through an unanticipated livestream followed by immediate availability—a tactic that swiftly secured a significant portion of the battle royale market.

To support continued development and expansion of Apex Legends, Respawn established a studio within EA Vancouver's campus in 2020. By January 2022, the company announced a sequel to Jedi Fallen Order, alongside a new Star Wars first-person shooter and a strategy title; Peter Hirschmann was appointed to lead the FPS project.

In March 2023, Respawn inaugurated its third development studio located in Madison, Wisconsin. This facility is headed by industry veteran Ryan Burnett and is dedicated to maintaining and evolving Apex Legends over the coming decade.

Asmussen departed from Respawn in September 2023 to explore other opportunities. Early in 2024, EA implemented workforce reductions affecting approximately twenty Respawn employees amid broader corporate restructuring; concurrently, the Star Wars FPS project was canceled while other developments proceeded. In April 2025, further project cancellations led to around one hundred employees being either reassigned or laid off.

Colette

The 24-minute short film Colette, directed by Anthony Giacchino, was created as part of the Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond Gallery series. It chronicles the journey of former French Resistance fighter Colette Marin-Catherine as she visits the Mittelbau-Dora concentration camp in Germany, the site where her brother perished during World War II.

Colette gained considerable acclaim for its outstanding filmmaking. Respawn and Oculus entered it into various film festivals, including the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, where it secured the Best Short award, making it eligible for Academy Award nomination. The film ultimately earned the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject at the 93rd Academy Awards, becoming the first Oscar-winning production associated with a video game company.

Games developed

Year	Title	Platform(s)	Notes
2014	Titanfall	Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One
2016	Titanfall 2	Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
2017	Titanfall: Assault	Android, iOS	Developed in partnership with Particle City
2019	Apex Legends	Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S	Nintendo Switch port co-developed by Panic Button
2019	Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order	Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S	PS5 and Xbox Series X/S editions co-developed alongside Panic Button
2020	Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond	Microsoft Windows
2023	Star Wars Jedi: Survivor	Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
2026	Star Wars: Zero Company	PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S	Developed by Bit Reactor
Template:DTBA	Untitled sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Survivor	TBA

Canceled


Year	Title	Ref.
2024	Untitled first-person shooter set in the Star Wars universe
2025	Untitled video game project
2025	Untitled video game project