Swedish games firm Starbreeze has cancelled an in-development Dungeons and Dragons game codenamed Baxter. 

In a note to investors, CEO Adolf Kristjansson announced that the project was being canned, saying that the company's focus moving forward was going to be Payday. Stop me if you've heard this one before. 

44 full time members of staff are being affected by this decision, though in in a statement to Game Developer, Starbreeze said it couldn't confirm how many staff were being laid off due to ongoing union negotiations. The company does say that some employees are being moved to the Payday team and those it cannot find space for, it will be assisting in finding a new job. 

“This was a difficult but necessary decision,” Kristjansson said. 

"Our strategy is clear: Payday is one of the most iconic IPs in gaming, with unmatched reach and potential. By focusing our investment and talent here, we can accelerate delivery, engage players with more content, and reinforce Starbreeze’s position as the clear leader in the heisting genre. This is about sharpening our focus to create the strongest long-term value for our players, our people, and our shareholders.”

He continued: “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.”