On November 9, 2017, Electronic Arts announced its decision to acquire Respawn Entertainment, a development studio that is best known for their work on the Titanfall series. In addition to being integrated into EA's Worldwide Studios organization, Respawn would receive $151 million in cash, up to $164 million in "restricted stock units to employees," and a variable cash reward of up to $140 million for reaching certain "performance milestones" in the development of future game titles until the end of 2022. In layman's terms, Respawn would be getting a lot of money in exchange for being formally put under the EA umbrella. Naturally, Respawn accepted this offer, and as of December 1, 2017, they are officially a part of the EA family.
Vince Zampella, the CEO of Respawn Entertainment and one of the original creators of the Call of Duty series, stated, "We started Respawn with the goal to create a studio with some of the best talent in the industry, and to be a top developer of innovative games. We felt that now was the time to join an industry leader that brings the resources and support we need for long-term success, while still keeping our culture and creative freedom." In addition, Zampella believes that, "EA has been a great partner over the years with Titanfall and Titanfall 2, and we're excited to combine our strengths. This is a great next step for Respawn, EA, and our players."
Currently, Respawn is working on an untitled first-person shooter for the Oculus Rift with a release date set for 2019. Respawn is also working on a third-person action-adventure Star Wars game, though as one can imagine, the details on that project are even more scarce. Development on a third Titanfall game is expected to continue, but only time will tell what kind of influence will Electronic Arts have on the game's post-launch monetization scheme (i.e. microtransactions, loot boxes, etc.).
