Titanfall 3 was canceled and turned into Apex Legends

Titanfall 3 has once again become news to the discontent and sadness of the franchise’s fans as a developer reveals new information about the development of the game.

If the previous discussion was disheartening due to the anticipation of a future game, this one is even more disheartening as it concerns a game that could have become a reality. In an interview with The Burnettwork (via Insider Gaming), Mohammad Alavi, a veteran designer who recently left Respawn after more than a decade with the studio, shares the events that unfolded at the studio following the release of Titanfall 2.

You want to hear a crazy cut story? Titanfall 3…you know, Titanfall 2, came out, did what it did, and we were like, ‘Okay, we’re gonna make Titanfall 3,’ and we worked on Titanfall 3 for about 10 months, right? In earnest, right? I mean, we had new tech for it, we had multiple missions going, we had a first playable, which was like, on par to be just as good if not better than whatever we had before, right? But I’ll make this clear: incrementally better, it wasn’t revolutionary. And that’s the kicker, right? And we were feeling pretty decent about it, but not the same feeling as Titanfall 2 where we were making something revolutionary, you know what I mean?
– Alavi

In addition, Alavi mentions that the multiplayer team encountered difficulties with the game’s mechanics. The sensations experienced by players were described as being “too intense,” with everything turned up to maximum, resulting in players becoming fatigued quickly.

However, the crucial factor that led to the demise of Titanfall 3, as Alavi recalls, was the realization that the team’s plans for the game began to sound more appealing as a separate game, influenced by the release of PUBG and the team’s successful integration of Titanfall’s mechanics into a Battle Royale map internally.

And at the time, I had just literally become narrative lead designer on Titanfall 3, I had just pitched the mission, the story, the whole game, that me and Manny [Hagopian] had come up with, made this big presentation and then we went off a break, and then we came back from break, and we talked about it, and we were like, ‘Yeah, we need to pivot. And we need to go make this game’. Because we literally cancelled Titanfall 3 ourselves because we were like, ‘We can make this game, and it’s going to be Titanfall 2 plus a little bit better, or we can make this thing, which is clearly amazing.” And don’t get me wrong, I will always miss having another Titanfall, you ’know what I mean? I love that game, Titanfall 2, like I said, is my most crowing achievement, but it was the right call. That is a crazy cut. Such a crazy cut that EA didn’t even know about it for another six months, until we had another prototype up and running that we could show them!
– Alavi

Titanfall 3’s sad demise

Reading about the game’s downfall in such a manner is both profoundly disheartening and remarkably comprehensible. While it has become an integral part of the gaming landscape, to the extent that its existence may slip from memory unless one is deeply invested in it (and many are!), the excitement surrounding the initial release of Apex Legends during its first week can still be recalled. It was undeniably enjoyable. Given the opportunity, any studio in the world would have made the same strategic shift at that particular moment in time.

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FAQs

Are there any future plans for the Titanfall franchise?

As of now, there have been no official announcements regarding future developments in the Titanfall franchise. However, Respawn Entertainment has expressed its commitment to the franchise’s universe, so fans can hope for potential sequels, spin-offs, or updates in the future.

What is Titanfall?

Titanfall is a first-person shooter video game franchise developed by Respawn Entertainment. It combines fast-paced infantry combat with giant mechanized robots known as Titans. The game series is set in a futuristic universe where players engage in thrilling battles as Pilots, who can seamlessly transition between on-foot and Titan combat.