BREAKING : Electronic Arts to lay off five percent of workforce

[Gediminas]

Publisher to "move away from development of future licensed IP" that it does not believe will be successful.

Electronic Arts will lay five percent of its workforce, the company announced.

The company said it had 13,400 employees as of March 2023 in its most recent annual report, which would put the total number of employees laid off at around 670 people.

In a note to staff, Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson said the company is “moving away from development of future licensed [intellectual property] that we do not believe will be successful in our changing industry.”

GamesIndustry.biz reports that one such licensed title has been canceled as part of this plan, and that the teams working on it have been moved to other projects. An Electronic Arts representative also confirmed to the website that both its Black Panther and Iron Man games remain in development.

Electronic Arts to lay off five percent of workforce [Update 2: Star Wars first-person shooter canceled]

Electronic Arts will lay five percent of its workforce, the company announced.

www.gematsu.com

 

[AshHunter216]

This industry is an absolute bloodbath right now.

 

[historia]

It is just bubble bursting. Unsustainable growth, overhiring.

Eh it's over.

 

[Batzy]

This industry is an absolute bloodbath right now.

Or they though the covid people will remain customers and not go back to living their older lives of not playing video games.

 

[Gods&Monsters]

They should publish on PC Day 1 and Xbox to save the company. Wait

This news won't get half the attention of Sony because there's no agenda to push.

 

[historia]

Or they though the covid people will remain customers and not go back to living their older lives of not playing video games.

People shocked by this probably not old enough to see the .com burst.

 

[Cool hand luke]

They should publish on PC Day 1 and Xbox to save the company. Wait

This news won't get half the attention of Sony because there's no agenda to push.

Against my better judgement I do want to see links to where people have been suggesting this is the solution for Sony. Hit me with 'em

 

[TubzGaming]

Feels like all the companies are like - "Quick let people go now and hopefully it gets buried in all the rest!"

 

[Evilnemesis8]

They should publish on PC Day 1 and Xbox to save the company. Wait

I know you're just shooting the shit but in EA's case, releasing quality PC ports would've probably helped quite a bit if they didn't release garbage PC ports.

In 2023 they published
Dead Space Remake
Wild Hearts - 48% Steam Rating
Star Wars Jedi:Survivor - 66% Steam Rating

All three of those were technically pretty compromised at launch on PC, Dead Space Remake was mostly fixed and had the least issues, but Wild Hearts is still one of the worst PC ports of 2023 and Jedi Survivor is still pretty inadequate.

Their PC ports of their sports game is also not really great as well and that's all they released this year, including EA WRC by Codemasters(which was acquired by EA in 2021).

Customers will buy products, but they expect a minimum of quality, but it is EA so...

 

[flaccidsnake]

They should publish on PC Day 1 and Xbox to save the company. Wait

This news won't get half the attention of Sony because there's no agenda to push.

9 EA games were Steam best sellers in 2023.

Best of Steam - 2023

A look back at the year's top sellers, new releases, most-played games, and more!

store.steampowered.com

It was an obvious blunder not to put UFC5 out on Steam.

 

[John Elden Ring]

Who wants to bet who is going to be next?

 

[Firefly]

Who wants to bet who is going to be next?

Ubisoft

 

[Evilnemesis8]

Looks like the added royalty one has to pay to Disney and other License holders is just a deadly combination with the ballooning budgets.
You've got to sell so many copies to break even which can be quite a challenge even with the strength of the IP helping things.

EA looks to be opting out, at least partially.

 

[Say1nMan]

Overhiring and inflated budget striking the industry. Smh.

 

[Gamernyc78]

EA Shuttering Marcus Lehto's Ridgeline Games With Some Moving to Ripple Effect to Continue Work on Battlefield - IGN

In the wake of studio head Marcus Lehto's departure, EA announced that it is shuttering Ridgeline Games, with some of its developers moving to Ripple Effect to continue to work on its unannounced Battlefield game.

www.ign.com

 

[flaccidsnake]

Ubisoft

Was the Avatar game a flop? Seems like it was probably expensive to make.

 

[Firefly]

Was the Avatar game a flop? Seems like it was probably expensive to make.

Idk about Avatar but skull and bones most likely flopped so they might layoff those devs.

 

[flaccidsnake]

Idk about Avatar but skull and bones most likely flopped so they might layoff those devs.

Skull and Bones has that Singapore money tho:

Skull And Bones Still In Development Hell Because Of Singapore Government

“Nobody knew what the fuck they were doing,” said an ex-developer.

www.thegamer.com

 

[Evilnemesis8]

EA Shuttering Marcus Lehto's Ridgeline Games With Some Moving to Ripple Effect to Continue Work on Battlefield - IGN

In the wake of studio head Marcus Lehto's departure, EA announced that it is shuttering Ridgeline Games, with some of its developers moving to Ripple Effect to continue to work on its unannounced Battlefield game.

www.ign.com

The Battlefield IP has really has had a rough couple of years....

 

[Zzero]

Ubisoft

It should be, but I am guessing Sega, with T2 on deck.