Starbreeze has officially canceled Project Baxter, its ambitious co-op Dungeons & Dragons game, and will be laying off a significant portion of its development team. This decision comes as the company shifts its focus back to its successful Payday franchise, which has garnered over 50 million players globally. Initially announced in December 2022, Project Baxter was developed using Unreal Engine 5 but faced scarce updates and ultimately led to a SEK 255 million write-down of developmental costs. Starbreeze's CEO emphasized the strategic move to concentrate on Payday as it seeks to reinforce its leadership in the heisting genre and accelerate content delivery for players.

nWhat will be the future of the Payday franchise after Project Baxter's cancellation?

After the cancellation of Project Baxter, Starbreeze plans to enhance its focus on the Payday franchise by expanding development teams and delivering more frequent updates and content drops. The company has also hinted at new heist games, including spinoffs and narrative-driven projects, to diversify its offerings within the genre.

Payday is a well-known franchise in the gaming industry, primarily recognized for its co-op gameplay centered around heists. Originally launched in 2013, Payday 2 has maintained a dedicated player base and continues to receive updates, while Payday 3, released in September 2023, aims to create a scalable live-engagement platform to attract millions of players. With a clear strategy to double down on this iconic IP, Starbreeze is working to solidify its position and explore new avenues for growth in the heisting gaming genre.