EA has killed another one. The publisher famous for ending the runs of Origin, Pandemic, Maxis, Westwood and so many others can now add Visceral to its list of deceased studios.

Visceral was the studio that brought us such games as Dead Space and Battlefield Hardline. More importantly, it was supposed to be the studio bringing us a new Star Wars game. The future of that game is now very much in flux.

In a statement on their website, EA’s Patrick Söderlund said

“In its current form, it was shaping up to be a story-based, linear adventure game. Throughout the development process, we have been testing the game concept with players, listening to the feedback about what and how they want to play, and closely tracking fundamental shifts in the marketplace. 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.”

He goes on to say that this is the primary reason for the disbandment of Visceral and though the game was originally scheduled for a 2018/2019 release, they are now “looking at a new timeframe that we will announce in the future.”

Visceral’s closure comes only a few days after Dead Space’s ninth anniversary.  Back then, Visceral was called EA Redwood Shores. The studio has had its ups and downs over the years, but its closure still comes as a big surprise. 

Though, if there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years, it’s that EA is willing to shut down anything it wants too, despite what fans might think. EA and its studios are responsible for some of the most popular games on the market, including FIFA, Madden, Battlefield, Battlefront, Titanfall, Mass Effect, Battlefield and more. Yet EA still remains one of the most hated entities in gaming. From their early support for microtransactions to their habit of turning out seemingly unfinished games, the company’s reputation is nothing to be coveted. 

All that being said, there’s a chance this means a better Star Wars game in the long run. EA has made promises like this plenty of times in the past, but for the sake of optimism, we’ll keep our fingers crossed and hope that this time it all turns out for the better. 

As for the employee’s of Visceral, Söderlund says that EA is “in the midst of shifting as many of the team as possible to other projects and teams at EA.”