Apex Legends Developer Has A New IP On The Way
Respawn Entertainment entered the gaming landscape with 2014's Titanfall, but the studio hasn't branched out much from there. Its next title was the improved sequel Titanfall 2, followed by Apex Legends (which takes place in the Titanfall universe), Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and the maligned Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond. Aside from the expanded Titanfall franchise, Respawn doesn't have any unique intellectual properties (IPs) to its name, but that will soon change. Possibly.
Recently, Respawn Entertainment added a new job opening to its careers portal. While the studio is always looking for new blood to fuel its environmental artist, level designer, and quality assurance teams, those are primarily for existing projects. This recent posting, however, implies Respawn Entertainment is seeking someone to help develop new IPs because, well, it is literally in the job title.
The opening in question is for a generalist software engineer to join the "New IP Incubation Team." As the name suggests, this is a small group of developers formed for the express purpose of creating a "brand new IP." Of course, there's more to building a video game IP than just creating characters and narrative. The generalist software engineer will focus on developing new technologies that will provide enjoyable gameplay while letting players "[adventure] forever." Could this mean Respawn wants to create an MMO or another live service title like Apex Legends? Only the company knows for sure.
Of course, a job posting can only provide so much information. Respawn Entertainment might want help polishing an in-development title, or the studio hasn't started production yet and is looking for an engineer to help with the spitballing process on top of their other responsibilities. However, since the opening explicitly states the hire will work on a new IP, we can rule out several possibilities. The engineer probably won't work on the rumored Titanfall 3 or a Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order sequel since those are parts of existing properties. That doesn't mean Respawn (or another EA-owned company) isn't working on them, just that the new hire won't touch them.
Audiences will have to wait several years until Respawn Entertainment and the new engineer are ready to show the fruits of their labors, but we can rest assured it will probably be unlike anything the studio has produced before — and it won't be tainted with the foul stench of crunch, either. After all, a policy against crunch is one of the job's perks.