Fantasy Flight Games Discontinuing RPGs?

Back in January, it emerged that FFG was laying off a lot of staff, including RPG staff. Now, GM Chris over at d20 Radio is reporting that the company is discontinuing all RPG development, including Star Wars, Legend of the Five Rings, and its relatively newer Genesys universal system.

He says that all currently announced products will be produced, but in the long-term the RPG production is ending. There's some speculation regarding sales of companies to each other (FFG's owner is Asmodee, which is owned by PAI Partners who bought it from Eurazeo), but it's only conjecture. More info at the link below!

Fantasy Flight Games Long Term Plan will Discontinue RPG Development - d20 Radio

This article is a follow-up to a prior article published on January 8, 2020. We at d20Radio are sad to announce that we have independently confirmed [...]

www.d20radio.com

FFG's Katrina Ostrander appears to have confirmed the news:


Back in January, FFG laid off over 14 staff, and shut down Fantasy Flight Interactive. Reports were that the tabletop RPG department had been "shuttered" -- reduced to a couple of full timers. It sounds now like the cut is more severe even than that.

 

[Mournblade94]

This is why I am very skeptical of supporting licenced RPG's. Just as it gains momentum, it disappears. The only Star Wars game I play is WEGS. I played FFG for a bit but went back to WEGS Star Wars. I won't touch a Marvel game, and I use FASERIP when I feel the need. Every Marvel Game has puttered out that wasnt FASERIP.

Now, even though its not expensive licence I am really getting invested in Cubicle 7 Warhammer FRP. This too seems to be fading. I am skeptical they will fulfill the whole campaign they promised. This keeps me from trying alot of new systems. I have the ones that are tried and true. By the time I learn a new system its out of print.

I have a descent money for my hobby budget but I am skeptical of buying new RPGs, or licensed RPGS. But here I go giving Dune a shot like an idiot.

 

[Weiley31]

Ooooh! Now that idea excites me!

PAIZO DO IT!

5E Star Wars here we come!

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

If a franchise or IP is very famous or popular you can find homebred versions, and now you do't need spend money to get lore/background/fluff if you can read the fandom-wikis from internet.

And it is worse when you aren't English-speaker or you would rather to buy in your own naive languange. The candence is lower. For example yesterday I bought the translanted version of Starfinder pact worlds and I hope to can buy Changeling 20 Anniversary Edition and D&D Xanathar Guide this week. Pathfinder 2 maybe the next month. I could buy "Dungeonscape" (D&D 3.5) but I didn't it because I am awaiting the translation by Devir Iberia and then it stopped, and I had to come back to my town where I couldn't buy ever the English version.

* A new SW by WotC sounds very nice but I have said a d20 game with modern technology needs a lot of work for the right balance of power. If you have played some Battle Royal or Counter-Strike videogame you know the difference when you have better or worse weapons than your enemy. (Do you remember the B.R.U.T.E in Fortnite?)

* Is there any Starfinder version of Star Wars and Star Trecks races?

 

[Cergorach]

Why is everyone acting surprised? Look at the last 20 years of FFG products, especially (but not only) in their RPG section. They'll kill any license/line that they don't think performs well, be it SW, be it L5R, etc. While the new owners of Asmodee might have given some divisions a nudge, for FFG "all of this has happened before. and all of this will happen again", just to use their Battlestar Gallactica license... ;-)

Also keep in mind that WotC also let their SW licenses lapse and it took a while before FFG picked it up. I have most (if not all) WotC SW books and never started on the FFG line. Imho not every change is an improvement, neither are new products necessarily. The old WEG had some really cool stuff, but it was pretty dated by the time WotC picked it up. I prefer to pick and choose with fluff with a system I prefer.

 

[JeffB]

Thanks to Eiger and KK , I really don't care about anything new when it comes to the Disney SW franchise. They ruined everything they touch (buy out). They have been having big problems selling their normal merch over the past several years so why would the RPG be any different? Actually I wouldn't be surprised if they just sat on the RPG license for awhile. Other than The Mandalorian- they haven't been "nailing it" with the fan-base.

I feel bad for FFG- they produced a really innovative system for SW with great playability and the system fit the genre/franchise so well, unlike some others :coughD20cough: I hope the RPG folks find work swiftly.

 

[Undrave]

The theme park is a disaster, there are numerous facts to back that up.

I think you should re-evaluate the theme park situation after the opening of Rise of the Resistance. It's been universally acclaimed and has appeal beyond the Star Wars fans its aimed at, considering how technologically impressive it is.

The issues with Galaxy's Edge had way more to do with peculiarities of the theme park market than they did with Star Wars itself. Need I remind you that Animal Kingdom was viewed as a half-day park until they opened Pandora? A land themed after a franchise that, for all its monetary success, has basically zero fandom and pop culture impact?

Galaxy's Edge basically opened un-finished.

 

[griffon8]

I wonder if this could lead to a reopening of the DragonStar line. I still miss it.

 

[Morrus]

I wonder if this could lead to a reopening of the DragonStar line.

How do you figure? They're closing down RPG production, not opening it up!

 

[griffon8]

How do you figure? They're closing down RPG production, not opening it up!

Right, but if that makes the DragonStar line available for someone else to buy it at less than the exorbitant price FFG had reportedly been asking for it, maybe it could see the light of day again.

 

[Reynard]

Right, but if that makes the DragonStar line available for someone else to buy it at less than the exorbitant price FFG had reportedly been asking for it, maybe it could see the light of day again.

Why would anyone buy it? There's nothing in it you can't do yourself and it's not like the setting has any cache.

Also -- wow do people around here HATE Star Wars.