Respawn Just Reignited Titanfall Fans' Hopes

Respawn has left fans in the dark about the future of "Titanfall," the single-player series set in the same universe as "Apex Legends," for a while now. Even after "Titanfall 2" flopped, fans hoped that there would be a "Titanfall 3" to redeem the series. Since then, Respawn has lightly hinted that "Titanfall 3" could happen in the future, but fans have never quite received the confirmation they've hoped for. That may be about to change, if the latest job postings from the Respawn career site are anything to go by. 

As spotted by Apex Legends News account @alphaINTEL, Respawn posted a Senior Engine/Systems Engineer job listing for work on an "Apex Universe FPS Incubation Title." @alphaINTEL interpreted this as a standalone first-person shooter taking place within the same universe as "Apex Legends" and "Titanfall." Respawn already announced it was developing a brand new single-player adventure last year, when it hired four new people to work on an unnamed project, but it's unclear if this newer listing is related to the same project hinted at last year. Naturally, some think this single-player FPS could be "Titanfall 3," based on its relationship to "Apex Legends." 

However, other fans are skeptical. Even if it sounds like "Titanfall 3," many of them aren't willing to believe it until they see it.

The quote tweets of the @alphaINTEL post are full of a range of "Titanfall" fan reactions, from enthusiastic to disappointed.

One user posted with an image of a clown looking back at them in the mirror, noting that this is what they felt like for hoping for a "Titanfall 3" announcement. Many posted similar sentiments, hoping that it's a sign of "Titanfall 3," rather than a new IP. Others lamented how Respawn referred to the "Titanfall" universe as the "Apex Legends" universe, even though "Titanfall" came first. Some see this as a sign that the developer has stopped respecting "Titanfall." 

Of course, it could be that this new project has no real attachments to "Titanfall" at all, but is instead a new single-player series specifically based on "Apex Legends" characters. Some fans saw the unnamed "Apex Legends" title as the final nail in the "Titanfall" coffin, especially if Respawn is moving past the series with a new "Apex Legends" single-player IP. Still others felt like this was the first sign of "Titanfall 3" existing in quite a while.

Forbes journalist Paul Tassi acknowledged the discourse and justified Respawn's prioritization of "Apex Legends," noting, "'Apex' has been the biggest new IP for Respawn or EA in like, forever. It's a far better bet and obviously the two series share at least some DNA anyway."

Either way, Respawn hasn't shown its full hand yet. There are still reasons to hold out for more "Titanfall." Fans will have to wait and see what this mysterious "Apex Legends"-related project becomes.