Summary
Formed in 2010, Respawn Entertainment is still a relative newcomer to the video game industry, though its origins go much further back. Though Respawn is only about 14 years old, its founders Jason West and Vince Zampella have been in the gaming industry for quite a while longer, with their most famous prior work being as the leads ofCall of Duty: Modern Warfaredeveloper Infinity Ward. After some legal disputes with Activision, West and Zampella set out to form their own independent game studio, and thus Respawn was born, along with its debut title,Titanfall.
Released on June 28, 2025 for PC and Xbox One,Titanfallturns 10 years old today. A sci-fi first-person shooter about parkouring around various environments, shooting players, and controlling powerful mechs,Titanfalloffered an experience unlike any other at the time, boasting incredibly high production values and very satisfying gameplay mechanics. ButTitanfallwas only the beginning, the start of a franchise that has unfortunately been sorely underutilized in the last few years.
The First Titanfall Laid Some Great Franchise Foundations
Titanfall Felt Like a Truly Next-Gen First-Person Shooter
Released justa few months into the Xbox One’s life,Titanfallpresented itself as a true next-generation shooter, and for the most part, it actually lived up to that promise. Though it may have had some texture pop-in issues on release,Titanfalllooked and ran very well for the most part, with its technical features complimenting its gameplay very well. It was this gameplay that really madeTitanfallstand out back in 2014.
Just a few months prior toTitanfall’s release,Call of Duty: Ghostshit store shelves, disappointing fans across the world with its lackluster campaign, and multiplayer modes that felt like timid recreations of great past entries. By comparison,Titanfallseemed like a breath of fresh air for the genre. Seamlessly blending fluid parkour mechanics with tight shooting mechanics and exhilarating mech combat,Titanfallfelt like a big step forward forthe first-person shooter genreback in 2014.
Titanfall Teased Some Intriguing World-Building
One ofTitanfall’s most common criticismsupon its initial release was its campaign, or the lack thereof. While the firstTitanfalltechnically had a single-player mode, it was simply a collection of multiplayer matches in which character dialogue played over the top, essentially giving the illusion that players were working towards a story-based objective. It was definitely a far cry from a traditional narrative campaign. The criticism seems valid a decade later, butTitanfalldid manage to tease some intriguing narrative ideas in both its single-player and multiplayer content, gradually building out a world with its warring factions and subtle environmental details.
The Titanfall Series Has Been Left Disappointingly Dormant
The firstTitanfallmay not have been a perfect first-person shooter, but it was an incredibly impressive first outing for Respawn Entertainment, and a great building block for the start of a new gaming franchise. Thankfully,Titanfallfans didn’t have to wait too long for Respawn to deliver a sequel, asTitanfall 2launched in October 2016, and according to the vast majority of both critics and fans, it improved upon its predecessor in just about every way. Almost eight years later,Titanfall 2is still considered one ofthe greatest FPS gamesaround, refining its predecessor’s mechanics, delivering a stellar campaign, and polishing out those technical issues.
ThoughTitanfall 2wasn’t quite the sales juggernaut that EA was expecting it to be, it managed to garner a sizable following of loyal fans, many of whom are desperate for a third installment in the franchise and aren’t afraid to be vocal about it. But unfortunately,Titanfall 3still feels like a pipe dream. ThoughApex Legendsis continuing to build outtheTitanfalluniverse, its gameplay differs heavily fromTitanfalland its beloved sequel. No matter how much the battle royale references those games, it doesn’t stop the feeling thatTitanfallhas been sadly underused.
Titanfall
WHERE TO PLAY
Stand by for Titanfall. Crafted by key developers behind the CALL OF DUTY franchise, Titanfall is the first next-gen shooter that combines pure adrenaline, wall-running, double-jumping action with powerful, fast-paced titan warfare to set the new bar for online multiplayer gameplay. Delivering blistering fast, fluid combat that gives you the freedom to fight your way as elite, assault pilots or agile, heavily armored titans. Rethink fundamental combat and movement with new abilities to change tactics on the fly, attacking or escaping depending on the situation. Heart-pounding multiplayer action combined with dramatic, cinematic moments lets you enjoy the fiction and characters of the universe without having to leave your favorite game online multiplayer mode. Online multiplayer matches featuring both human/AI allies and enemies create an experience like none other.
