The game studio Starbreeze announced on Thursday that it has canceled its co-op Dungeons & Dragons game, codenamed Baxter. This decision is part of the company's strategic pivot to re-focusing on its Payday franchise, whose latest installment was released in 2023 with Payday 3.
A Tough but Necessary Decision
"This was a challenging but necessary decision," Starbreeze CEO stated in a public statement. Part of the Project Baxter team will be transferred to different initiatives, mostly within the company's efforts on the Payday series. Some developers, though, will seemingly be laid off as a result of this cancellation, with the statement noting, "In cases where internal roles are limited, the company will offer assistance for impacted staff to transition to new roles across the industry."
The Baxter Project: Initial Vision and Development
The game was originally announced in 2023. Starbreeze noted at the time it would "include the signature game cornerstones" of the company, which it identified as cooperative online play, a "lifetime commitment" to it as a service game, and community engagement. Project Baxter was meant to release in 2026. The studio did not reveal much on Project Baxter since, though it did show off some concept art and an in-engine still from the game approximately one year prior.
Focusing on the Payday Franchise
Canceling Project Baxter supports Starbreeze's Payday brand, which the developer is prioritizing. "Our strategy is to intensify efforts on what our fans love – and what we do best – dominating the crime-heist category," the executive remarked.
Starbreeze launched Payday 3 in 2023 to a varied response, with certain evaluations pointing out that "Even if the moment-to-moment gameplay has been enhanced, the soul of Payday is clearly in the systems that surround it, which is where this third installment is significantly deficient." It allegedly failed to meet sales expectations.
Future Prospects for D&D Gaming
As for D&D players looking to play more video games inspired by the series, alternatives exist, such as Baldur's Gate 3 recently receiving a dedicated version for Steam Deck. Additionally, the creative lead of the Star Wars Jedi games is also working on an unannounced major D&D project, though it is likely a distant release.
