Bit Reactor begins returning furloughed Zero Company staff

Bit Reactor has begun bringing furloughed employees back to work as it resumes support for Star Wars Zero Company, CEO Greg Foertsch said in an online statement dated October 7. The studio has not disclosed how many people have returned or whether all furloughed staff will come back. Foertsch described the returns as an important step in the game’s continued support. He also said the furlough decision followed unexpected business developments outside the studio’s control, but did not specify what those developments were. About 80 Bit Reactor employees were reportedly placed on unpaid leave shortly before the game’s launch. The figure and details of the furloughs trace to reporting based on an undisclosed source. That reporting also said the studio’s paid workforce had grown to more than half its pre-furlough size, while some employees remained on leave. The estimate does not establish how many individual workers have returned or the final size of the team. The staffing move follows the release of Zero Company on August 27. Foertsch linked the returning employees to continued work on the game, and said the studio would share more updates about Bit Reactor and Zero Company.