In late May, gaming giant EA laid off 300 employees, including approximately 100 from developer Respawn Entertainment. Founded by former Call of Duty developers, the studio behind Apex Legends and the Star Wars Jedi series was reportedly developing a third installment in the acclaimed Titanfall franchise before these workforce reductions. Industry insiders suggest the canceled project was an extraction shooter - a deliberately challenging PvPvE genre that remains relatively niche. Set within the Titanfall and Apex Legends universe, this scrapped project could have propelled the genre toward mainstream success. With EA stepping back, the question remains: who will elevate extraction shooters beyond their current niche status? The answer may arrive sooner than expected.
"We've implemented strategic organizational changes that better align our teams and resources to drive future growth," an EA spokesperson stated regarding the Respawn layoffs. This corporate messaging echoes previous workforce reductions across EA's portfolio, including cuts at Codemasters and BioWare, plus broader company-wide layoffs affecting 670 employees in March 2023. These recurring workforce reductions have sparked concerns about industry sustainability and renewed calls for unionization.
The rumored Titanfall extraction shooter's cancellation has particularly disappointed fans, especially given the running joke about the franchise's long-awaited return. Moreover, speculation about a major studio developing an extraction shooter has drawn attention to this underdeveloped genre. Regardless of Respawn's actual plans, discourse surrounding extraction shooters has noticeably increased.
"This remains an enthusiast genre that hasn't significantly penetrated the mainstream market," Circana's Video Games Industry Advisor Mat Piscatella told IGN.
Bungie recently unveiled gameplay footage for Marathon, their upcoming extraction shooter that some analysts believe could popularize the genre. While controversy surrounds alleged asset plagiarism, early hands-on impressions from journalists have been largely positive. Given Bungie's pedigree with Halo and Destiny, this response isn't surprising. However, Marathon launches this September into an untested market segment - will Bungie's FPS expertise translate to success in this emerging genre? Industry observers remain cautiously optimistic.
"If I had to bet on any studio bringing this genre mainstream, my money would be on Bungie," Piscatella remarked.
For the uninitiated, extraction shooters blend PvP and PvE gameplay: small squads infiltrate hostile environments, complete objectives while combating AI and rival players, then extract with collected resources. Escape From Tarkov popularized this formula with its punishing, high-stakes combat, gaining particular traction during pandemic lockdowns.
Since then, various studios have attempted extraction shooters with mixed results. Arrowhead Game Studios' Helldivers 2, published by Sony last year, stands out by focusing exclusively on cooperative play without Tarkov's tense PvP elements. According to Circana data, Helldivers 2 ranked as the eighth most-played Steam game and 34th on PlayStation in April.
"Helldivers 2 represents an outlier success," Piscatella noted. "Approximately 9% of active US Steam users and 3% of PS5 players engaged with it in April. No other extraction shooter exceeded 2.3% player engagement on any platform."
These figures pale against genre giants like Fortnite or Call of Duty, but Piscatella emphasizes the genre's growth potential: "Niche genres often require a breakout hit to achieve mainstream success. Guitar Hero revolutionized music games, Halo transformed console FPS, and World of Warcraft redefined MMOs. Perhaps Marathon will do the same for extraction shooters - though nothing's guaranteed in today's market."
Other notable extraction shooters include Deep Rock Galactic, Hunt: Showdown 1896, and the free-to-play Delta Force. The latter currently ranks 15th in peak Steam concurrent players (~135,000) - respectable but dwarfed by battle royale titans. Publisher focus on replicating Fortnite and Warzone's monetization success has arguably created creative stagnation, making studios hesitant to invest in unproven genres like extraction shooters.
In this context, Marathon represents the first major AAA attempt to mainstream the genre. Piscatella cautions: "Bungie's involvement doesn't guarantee success. Marathon needs to engage genre enthusiasts who can advocate within their social circles while creating accessible onboarding for FPS players."
Ultimately, Marathon faces the same challenges as any new title in today's saturated market, compounded by the genre's unproven mainstream appeal. Piscatella summarizes: "With gamers entrenched in established titles featuring social hooks and free-to-play models, any new game faces an uphill battle."
The extraction shooter genre's uncertain commercial viability explains developer caution - despite Helldivers 2's success, most entries achieve middling results. This makes Bungie's commitment particularly notable. Marathon's performance could signal whether major publishers should invest in extraction shooters. With industry eyes watching, September's launch may determine whether this niche genre can achieve broader appeal.
