EA is laying off 670 employees, sunsetting games, and canceling "development of future licensed IP" including Respawn's Star Wars FPS
A grim year for the video game industry just got grimmer, as EA has plans to cut 670 workers - approximately 5% of its workforce - in a major business shakeup that will include sunsetting existing games and canceling licensed IP.
In a note sent to staff and obtained by IGN, EA CEO Andrew Wilson said the restructuring is in response to "accelerating industry transformation where player needs and motivations and changed significantly."
As part of its restructuring, EA is "moving away from the development of future licensed IP." The company has yet to reveal the full scope of teams and projects impacted, but Wilson did reveal that Respawn's Star Wars first-person shooter has been canceled. We didn't know a whole lot about the game, but it was reportedly a Mandalorian adaptation.
"It's always hard to walk away from a project, and this decision is not a reflection of the team's talent, tenacity, or passion they have for the game," EA Entertainment president Laura Miele wrote in a separate note to staff, also via IGN. "Giving fans the next installments of the iconic franchises they want is the definition of blockbuster storytelling and the right place to focus."
Moreover, Ridgeline Games, the Seattle-based studio formed in 2021 to develop a single-player Battlefield single-player, has been shuttered as part of EA's restructuring. A number of its developers will be folded into Ripple Effect, a Battlefield co-developer originally known as DICE LA. Battlefield's single-player future is apparently still part of EA's plans, now being headed up by Criterion's Danny Isaac and Darren White.
Wilson said EA will now focus on its own first-party IP, sports, and "massive online communities," moving developers from other projects to support these initiatives.
"This greater focus allows us to drive creativity, accelerate innovation, and double down on our biggest opportunities — including our owned IP, sports, and massive online communities — to deliver the entertainment players want
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