Starbreeze have cancelled Project Baxter, the co-op live service Dungeons & Dragons game they announced back in 2023. Part of the development team have been transferred to other projects within Starbreeze, while the remainder get to “transition to new roles across the industry”.
Starbreeze have told us little about Project Baxter over the years, beyond characterising it as an action-adventure that reflects their “lifetime commitment” to Games-as-a-Service, and stating that it would support PC and console crossplay. They announced it with a couple of artworks – one depicting a close-cropped mage in a cape, the other some pointy roofs and pennants. The game surely would have built upon Starbreeze’s established, albeit recently eroded reputation for co-op heisting. Now, however, Starbreeze bosses have decided that doubling down on Payday is the safer route forward.
“This was a difficult but necessary decision,” comments CEO Adolf Kristjansson in a release to investors. “Our strategy is clear: Payday is one of the most iconic IPs in gaming, with unmatched reach and potential. By focusing our investment and talent here, we can accelerate delivery, engage players with more content, and reinforce Starbreeze’s position as the clear leader in the heisting genre. This is about sharpening our focus to create the strongest long-term value for our players, our people, and our shareholders.”
Around 44 people, spanning employees and contractors, are to lose their roles at Starbreeze in the course of writing off Baxter. The press release adds that “the discontinuation of Baxter, combined with an increased focus on the Payday franchise, will enable Starbreeze to become cash-flow positive in 2026.” For context, cash-flow positive means you have more money coming in over a given period, than going out – it’s not the same as being overall profitable. Starbreeze made a huge loss in their financial year 2024 after a catastrophic launch showing for Payday 3.
Kristjansson ends the release by thanking the Baxter team and D&D license owners Wizards of the Coast, adding that work on Baxter “will carry forward into Payday and the future of Starbreeze”. Maybe they should give the laid-off Baxter team members a Special Thanks credit in Payday 4, assuming that’s next on the agenda. Best of luck to everybody affected.
