The Titanfall franchise is beloved amongst video game players, having obtained cult status thanks to its action-packed mech warfare, agile first-person shooter action, and clever campaigns. While it never achieved the high sales needed to sustain its longevity, the critical success of Titanfall 2 in 2016 eventually inspired work on a sequel.
Titanfall 3 aimed to expand on the franchise’s world incrementally, with strong new features and a devotion to new multiplayer mechanics. Despite enthusiasm for the project, it was ultimately cancelled – and questions have long lingered about the reasons why.
According to former Respawn Entertainment developer Mohammad Alavi, Titanfall 3 was actually a victim of its own success, as the team’s devotion to a renewed multiplayer mode ultimately led to part of the game’s ideas being spun-off into Apex Legends, Respawn’s highly successful multiple battle royale shooter.
Read: EA reportedly cancels Apex Legends x Titanfall crossover game
‘We worked on Titanfall 3 for… ten months, right? In earnest, right?,’ Alavi recently told The Burnettwork. ‘We had new tech for it, we had multiple missions going, we had a first playable, which was 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?’
‘People love Titanfall 2 multiplayer. But people who love Titanfall 2 multiplayer is a very small number of people. And most people play Titanfall 2 multiplayer and think it’s really good, but it’s just too much. It’s cranked up to 11, and they burn out a bit fast … So we were like, trying to fix that, we were trying to fix that from Titanfall 1 to 2, trying to fix it from Titanfall 2 to 3, the multiplayer team was like, just dying.’
‘Then PUBG came out. I don’t know if you remember Alex Roycewicz [game designer], but Alex Roycewicz was starting to play PUBG. And then Geoff started playing PUBG. And then they made a battle royale map with, you know, Titanfall 3 classes.’
‘At the time, I had just literally become narrative lead designer on Titanfall 3, I had just pitched the mission, 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 went 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.”‘
According to Alavi, the Titanfall 3 team basically ‘cancelled Titanfall 3 [themselves]’ due to the desire to make the improved multiplayer aspects of Titanfall 3 shine on their own. ‘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,’ Alavi said.
The multiplayer mode in question evolved to become Apex Legends – a game that has proved to be a major critical and commercial success for EA and Respawn. While the Titanfall 3 team appears to know what they’ve missed by cancelling Titanfall 3, it’s arguably led to one of Respawn’s biggest successes – and potentially opened the door for more Titanfall down the line.
FAQs
"Titanfall 2 came out, did what it did, and we were like 'Okay we're going to make Titanfall 3," Alavi said (via PCGamesN). "We worked on Titanfall 3 for 10 months in earnest. We had the tech for it, and multiple missions going. But I'll make this clear, it was incrementally better, it wasn't revolutionary."
Why was Titanfall 3 cancelled? ›
According to former Respawn Entertainment developer Mohammad Alavi, Titanfall 3 was actually a victim of its own success, as the team's devotion to a renewed multiplayer mode ultimately led to part of the game's ideas being spun-off into Apex Legends, Respawn's highly successful multiple battle royale shooter.
How long was Titanfall 2 in development? ›
Development. Respawn Entertainment, founded by Vince Zampella, and a team of ninety people developed the game. Titanfall's original director, Steve f*ckuda, producer Drew McCoy, and composer Stephen Barton returned for the sequel. Production of the title began in mid-2014 with a two-year development cycle.
Will Respawn ever make a Titanfall 3? ›
Titanfall developer Respawn is working on a new game in the Titanfall universe, but it's not Titanfall 3, according to a new report. Jeff Grubb of GameSpot sister site Giant Bomb said Titanfall game director Steve f*ckuda is leading a team working on a new game in that universe.
Was Apex supposed to be Titanfall 3? ›
“It was the right call.” Respawn Entertainment worked on Titanfall 3 "in earnest" for ten months before ditching it for Apex Legends, a former developer has revealed. Mohammad Alavi, who became narrative lead designer on Titanfall 3 before it was cut, told The Burnettwork that much work on the sequel had been done.
Will Titanfall 3 ever exist? ›
In Time, Titanfall 3 Could Still Happen
Unfortunately, the future of the Titanfall series seems uncertain. In February 2023, EA canceled a project codenamed Titanfall Legends, raising concerns about the series' development process.
Will EA make Titanfall 3? ›
While it may not be Titanfall 3 or the game Titanfall Legends, previously canceled by EA, it looks like developers are still determined to create yet another game with Titanfall content. Titanfall came out in 2014 and Titanfall 2 followed in 2016. Apex Legends took some of the elements and made it a battle royale.
What is Titanfall 3's release date? ›
It was co-developed by Respawn Entertainment and Gravity Well and published by Electronic Arts. Announced on 7 December 2023 at The Game Awards 2023 and released on 11 March 2024 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and Series S.
Is Titanfall 1 no longer available? ›
The Original Titanfall Is No Longer Available For Sale, But The "Universe Will Continue" The game will also be removed from subscription services in March 2022, though servers will remain online. Titanfall is no longer available for sale.
How old is Jack Cooper in Titanfall 2? ›
Sources also state that he's in his mid to late 30s. However, this doesn't make sense. If Jack was born in 2687, he would only have been *16 years old* at the start of Titanfall 2. *2703* (Titanfall 2 events) - *2687* (Cooper's birthyear) = *16*.
Respawn is reportedly working on a new Titanfall game, but it's not Titanfall 3. The people crave Titanfall 3. Unfortunately, that's not coming but allow me to soften the blow. It does appear as if a new game is on the way, set within the Titanfall universe.
What happened to the 6 4 in Titanfall 2? ›
The 6-4 were able to escape Typhon prior to its destruction at the hands of the IMC superweapon. Sometime following the Battle of Typhon, members and lovers Droz and Davis left the 6-4 for presently unknown reasons, forming The Last Resort.
Did they cancel Titanfall 3? ›
It seemed like players would never get an explanation behind the game's cancellation, but one of the former Respawn Entertainment designers has now revealed why Titanfall 3 never got to see the light of day.
Is Titanfall: New Frontiers real? ›
New Frontiers is a fan-made 6 episode mini-series set in the Titanfall/Apex Legends universe. "Titanfall: New Frontiers" is a revolutionary approach to filmmaking, making storytelling more accessible to all. This project is not affiliated with, sponsored, or endorsed by EA Games or Respawn Entertainment.
Is Titanfall 2 canon to apex? ›
The Lore of the Apex universe is connected to the larger Titanfall universe. It is set a few years after the end of the Frontier War, the conflict featured heavily in both Titanfall and Titanfall 2.
What happened to the 6 4 Titanfall? ›
The 6-4 were able to escape Typhon prior to its destruction at the hands of the IMC superweapon. Sometime following the Battle of Typhon, members and lovers Droz and Davis left the 6-4 for presently unknown reasons, forming The Last Resort.
Is Titanfall Assault shutting down? ›
Titanfall: Assault was a great 5 minute mobile auto-battle-arena game, shut down in 2018.
What happened to BT in Titanfall? ›
BT-7274 and the Fold Weapon were obliterated by the ensuing explosion, along with almost the entirety of Typhon itself in the process. With the superweapon destroyed and General Marder in retreat, the Militia declared victory.
What happened to the original Titanfall? ›
Given the game's instability and low player count, Respawn Entertainment announced that they would be ending sales of Titanfall and removing the game from subscription services on March 1, 2022. However, should a player still own the game, the servers will still be available.
