Respawn's Vince Zampella wants Titanfall 3 to happen, but the timing & ideas must be right

Zampella says Respawn has no plans for Titanfall 3 yet, but for it to work, there are a lot of tough questions for the studio to answer.

Image via Respawn Entertainment
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Titanfall 3 is one of those games that many corners of the internet claim to want, but Respawn Entertainment hasn’t shown any sign of starting it. In fact, CEO Vince Zampella said he would love to see it happen, but there are a lot of elements that need to fit into place before the studio would pursue it. In a recent interview, Zampella spoke to the possibility of Titanfall 3, his desire for it to happen, and what currently stands in the way.

Zampella recently sat down to talk about topics like Titanfall 3 with Barron’s. In said interview, when asked about it, he played it a little cautious, but also shared in-depth details and concerns that contribute to why Titanfall 3 hasn’t happened yet.

“I hate to say yes, then people latch onto that, and then skewer you when it doesn't come," said Zampella, "But I would love to see it happen is the real answer… It has to be the right thing. It’s such a beloved franchise for the fans and also for us. If it is not the right moment in time, the right idea, then it just doesn’t make sense.”

Apex Legends character Ballistic
Apex Legends continues to be one of Respawn's primary points of concern, and the studio is nervous about trying to bring Apex Legends fans back to the Titanfall series without a perfect plan.
Source: Respawn Entertainment

Of course, Respawn has a lot of irons in the fire as well. It just released Star Wars Jedi: Survivor to rather high praise, including in our own Shacknews review. It also continues to work on the successful free-to-play shooter, Apex Legends, which just began showing off the first looks at its latest character, content, and season.

With so many prominent projects going, Zampella and Respawn have every reason to be wary of another Titanfall, especially in regards to timing. Titanfall 2 came out right between a new Call of Duty and Battlefield game, making it hard for the game to get traction amid other major shooters. Zampella is also nervous Apex fans won’t come along for the ride, especially considering with the success of Apex Legends, which takes place in the same universe as Titanfall.

“How do you do something that doesn’t confuse people that are Apex fans, but not necessarily Titanfall fans yet," said Zampella, "It's a hard question to answer.”

It seems like a question that Respawn doesn’t have the time or bandwidth to answer just yet. While Titanfall 3 still seems to be on the mind of Respawn devs, it’s looking likely that we won’t be getting that announcement anytime soon. Stay tuned for updates or changes as they become available.

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.

From The Chatty
    • reply
      April 27, 2023 11:05 AM

      Titan Fall 2 is probably one of the best games on the Steamdeck, hands down. It's fantastic on that platform. FYI.

      • reply
        April 27, 2023 11:12 AM

        i dont know why they didnt/dont give the game away for free (its amazing) and F2P the multiplayer.... its so good

        • reply
          April 27, 2023 11:54 AM

          My thought exactly. Give it away, free with any steamdeck purchase ;)

      • reply
        April 27, 2023 4:48 PM

        So good

    • reply
      April 27, 2023 11:58 AM

      They should make a Call of Duty game since they did it better than the people left at Infinity Ward do

      • reply
        April 27, 2023 12:07 PM

        That's pretty much what Titanfall is when you remove the Titans.

        The Pilots vs Pilots mode was great. Would have loved that with CTF variant and other modes.

        I still think they went about the MP all wrong, especially with the sequel which made the Titans feel even more disposable since they removed the recharging shields.

        I want the mechs to be beefy as hell, and to balance that out, the players should only be able to call them down once per match. There would be some more strategy to each match, and it wouldn't just be constant titan spam. The matches aren't that long to begin with. That's the right idea for me so hire me Vince and let's do this.

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