D&D Co-Op Game Project Baxter Canceled by Starbreeze as Studio Refocuses on PAYDAY Franchise
Starbreeze has officially canceled Project Baxter, the cooperative Dungeons & Dragons game first announced in December 2023. The Swedish studio shared the news in a press release outlining a new strategy, which centers on prioritizing its own intellectual property, PAYDAY.
CEO Adolf Kristjansson commented on the decision, thanking both the development team and Wizards of the Coast:
“I want to sincerely thank the Baxter team for their passion and creativity, and express appreciation to Wizards of the Coast for their support. Though we have made the decision to not continue forward with this project, we are proud of what was achieved in Baxter, and those contributions will carry forward into PAYDAY and the future of Starbreeze. By concentrating our efforts on PAYDAY, we give Starbreeze and all our employees the best chance to succeed.”
Originally targeted for a 2026 release, Project Baxter was still in its pre-production phase in early 2024, which had already raised doubts about its timeline. The cancellation represents both a shift in strategic priorities and likely difficulties within the project itself. Starbreeze is under pressure to stabilize the PAYDAY franchise, which has been struggling with the poor reception of PAYDAY 3 and the controversy surrounding the recently introduced PAYDAY 2 subscription service and the short-lived price hike of the Infamous Collection DLC bundle.
The end of Project Baxter comes with significant financial and organizational consequences. Starbreeze confirmed a $27 million write-off tied to the project and announced layoffs affecting around 44 employees, including internal staff and external contractors.
As with other canceled projects in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, fans may still eventually see what might have been. Earlier this year, footage of Hidden Path’s scrapped D&D open-world RPG surfaced online, sparking curiosity about its concepts. Whether Starbreeze will ever reveal Baxter’s early work remains uncertain.
Despite the setback, Dungeons & Dragons still has a strong gaming lineup ahead. Demeo x DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Battlemarked is scheduled for 2025, while Invoke Studios (creators of Dark Alliance) and Giant Skull are both developing new D&D titles. Additionally, the president of Wizards of the Coast recently expressed interest in eventually bringing the franchise back to the MMORPG space, though he cautioned that such a project may not materialize anytime soon.
For now, Starbreeze has chosen to double down on its most valuable property. Whether focusing entirely on PAYDAY can restore the studio’s standing in the industry remains to be seen, but the cancellation of Project Baxter is a sobering reminder of the challenges of large-scale licensed projects in today’s market.
What do you think? did Starbreeze make the right call by cutting Baxter, or was this a missed opportunity for the D&D franchise?
