In the recent news, EA CEO, Andrew Wilson, announced a second round of layoffs for EA staff in less than a year, affecting another 5% of the team. Wilson broke the news after extolling the company’s growth, leading position in the industry, and the shift focus towards “our owned IP, sports, and massive online communities”. Unsurprisingly, the decision will lead to layoff of nearly 670 developers, and have led to the cancellation of the Star Wars FPS game by Respawn. Additionally, the Battlefield standalone single-player studio Ridgeline has been entirely shutdown, following the departure of game director Marcus Lehto.
Ironically, in the shadow of live service fatigue, EA’s focus on online communities appears out of touch with gamer sentiments. Furthermore, EA’s layoff strategies have targeted veteran developers at BioWare, potentially impacting knowledge integral to EA’s most celebrated franchises. Regardless of EA’s outlook on their IP and sports games, long-term impacts and potential issues remain a critical concern.
Wilson’s announcement on EA’s official website delivered the news wrapped in business jargon, rendering the layoffs obscured and indirect. Despite the company claiming growth, the recent layoffs suggest unsustainable growth and potentially poor hiring strategies during the pandemic. The prevalence of staff layoffs across not only EA, but also other gaming companies like Sony and Supermassive Games, raises important concerns about job security and stability within the industry.
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