As many of you will have seen CEO of Stars Reach developer Playable Worlds Raph Koster announced on Friday evening that to ensure a sustainable path to deliver Stars Reach for the long term that he had made the difficult choice to reorganise the team which unfortunately lead to some of the team being laid off, we don’t currently know who on the team has been affected by the reorganisation although Raph has stated on the official Stars Reach discord that as part of the offboarding process the individuals affected will be asked if they are ok with their names being shared so if permission is granted we may get a clearer picture of the roles affected and who has left Playable Worlds.

Despite this news it’s not all Doom and Gloom the game remains playable weekly during playtests which run for 119 hours a week between Thursday and Tuesday and is still receiving regular updates as the team adds more content and systems while bug squashing any bugs that crop up. In the last week the planet Crucible which will be an Advanced Training Ground has entered internal testing and should hopefully be heading to full playtesting soon. As part of the announcement Raph has assured players that “The shape of Stars Reach isn’t changing” and that the “previously posted roadmap priorities remain intact” stating the community will be kept informed of any changes to the plan.

The reorganisation will also see Raph take a more hands on role in leading the development of Stars Reach.

While the announcement is certainly not the news we all wanted to hear and my sympathies go out all affected, I feel its a sensible step from Raph and the team following the high profile failing recently of Ashes of Creation to make sure the finances align with a sustainable launch and continued long term support of Stars Reach.

You can check out Raph’s full announcement below and head over to our Twitter and Facebook to let us know your thoughts on the announcement.

Hello all,

This week, I made the very difficult decision to reorganize our team.

Building ambitious online worlds is never a straight line. Timelines change, and we have to make hard choices to ensure there’s a sustainable path to delivering Stars Reach for the long term. After exploring every alternative available to us, we concluded this step was necessary to stay true to the trust players have placed in us.

The people affected by this decision are extraordinarily talented developers and deeply good humans. Their creativity, care, and dedication are woven into the fabric of the universe we’re building, and we’re profoundly grateful for everything they’ve contributed. Our focus right now is supporting them through this transition and doing what we can to help them land on their feet.

As we continue forward, I’ll be more directly involved in leading development alongside the team. Our previously posted roadmap priorities remain intact, and as always, we will keep the community informed of any changes to the plan.

This is a heavy moment for our studio. We don’t take it lightly, and I’m truly sorry for the impact this has on people we care deeply about. At the same time, we remain committed to building something special, and having the community along on the journey.

Thank you for your continued support.

-Raph Koster

A few quick answers

-Is Stars Reach still happening?

Yes, Stars Reach is still very much in development. 

-Does this delay the release of the game?

We haven’t announced any release dates yet. Our focus is on making sure we deliver the game in a way that honors the trust players have placed in us, rather than rushing or making commitments before they’re ready.

-Is the scope of the game changing?

No. The shape of Stars Reach isn’t changing, but how and when pieces come online will continue to evolve, as they always have. We track that openly on our Living Roadmap, which reflects what’s in progress, what’s next, and what’s being evaluated.

>https://starsreach.com/roadmap/

-Will Kickstarter rewards still be honored?

Yes. Kickstarter rewards remain part of what we’re building toward. While timelines can evolve, the commitments themselves haven’t changed, and we’ll continue sharing updates as work progresses.

-Are playtests continuing?

Yes. Playtests are continuing, and community involvement remains a core part of development. We’ll continue to share playtest schedules and details as we have been.