It’s only fair to wonder what’s next for the Star Wars Jedi series when the guy who literally helmed the first two games is leaving.
- Stig Asmussen, the director behind the Star Wars Jedi series, has left Electronic Arts and Respawn Entertainment after nearly a decade.
- Before Respawn, Asmussen played a key role in the God of War series, serving as the director of God of War 3.
- Wherever Asmussen is headed next, fans are keeping a close eye on what his next project will be.
According to Bloomberg, Stig Asmussen, the creative force behind Jedi: Fallen Order and its most recent follow-up, Jedi: Survivor, is departing from Electronic Arts and Respawn Entertainment.
This resignation is extremely unexpected, particularly considering the close to ten-year relationship Respawn had with the player. The Star Wars Jedi series achieved remarkable sales numbers and critical praise during Asmussen’s direction.
While Fallen Order broke sales records and became the fastest-selling digital launch for a Star Wars game, Jedi: Survivor maintained the upper hand and outperformed Fallen Order by a significant margin to lead sales charts in the month of its release earlier this year. Even though Jedi: Survivor had some performance problems, particularly on PC systems, it ended up receiving some of the greatest reviews of the year. These kinds of triumphs are now emblematic of Asmussen’s achievements, not only to EA but also to the gaming industry in general.
Prior to working at Respawn, Asmussen was a key member of the Santa Monica Studio team that developed the God of War video game franchise. He was awarded a prestigious BAFTA for Best Artistic Achievement for his work on God of War 3. He had taken over as director for the game, which Cory Barlog had previously held. A departure of this magnitude by someone of Asmussen’s skill is surprising given his stellar resume, and everyone is curious about his next move.
To Asmussen, an EA official conveyed their best wishes, saying, “After careful thought and consideration, Stig Asmussen has decided to leave Respawn to pursue other adventures, and we wish him the best of luck.” Following his departure, seasoned Respawn executives are anticipated to assume control of the continuing Star Wars Jedi: Survivor project.
The topic of the Star Wars Jedi series’ future has also come up again in light of this departure. It has been stated by Asmussen on multiple occasions in the past that the games were always intended to be a trilogy. He conveyed his desire to go to new places with Cal, the main character, and his team. Despite these comments, his abrupt departure has fans and observers wondering what the series will focus on moving forward. Will the third book in the trilogy be faithful to Asmussen’s original plan? Or will the new administration bring in a different viewpoint? These are big questions.
Asmussen’s departure might have an effect on the series’ direction and execution, considering his prior accomplishments. But it’s crucial to remember that creating a game requires teamwork. Because they were familiar with Asmussen’s idea, many at Respawn could therefore guide the third installment in the right path. Nevertheless, Asmussen showed his dedication to and confidence in the product by choosing not to postpone Jedi: Survivor in the face of performance issues.
Sadly, Jedi: Survivor is currently at its best point ever, just as Asmussen departs Respawn and EA. Though it’s uncertain if Jedi: Survivor will receive more content after launch, it appears like the surviving team members would rather concentrate on the third game and the impending last-gen port.
It’s possible that the last-generation versions will function effectively despite the launch’s early performance issues, especially in light of the previous successful backports of projects with comparable ambitions.
Regarding Asmussen, rumors about his possible contract with Netflix have been stoked by his departure. Considering that the platform has a history of collaborating with well-known game creators, Joe Staten, the co-creator of Halo and Bungie, and Raf Grasseti, the former director of God of War: Ragnarokart, are both working with Netflix to “bring a new world to life.”
When it comes to the creative freedom that these three creators possess, Netflix has the potential to unleash the creative wizardry of these god-level talent.Naturally, that is, if they can collaborate effectively.
The best-case scenario in this situation is that Asmussen’s exit indicates his level of trust in the development of the third Star Wars Jedi video game. We wouldn’t, however, rule out the possibility of exhaustion. Working on essentially the same project for almost ten years and then being asked to continue for a few more is not an easy task. Regretfully, Asmussen is the only one who knows the true reasons.
Whatever the reason behind his resignation or his future endeavor, Asmussen’s creative genius has followers excitedly anticipating where it will lead him.