Electronic Arts is laying off 5 percent of its workforce, which accounts for roughly 670 employees. CEO Andrew Wilson issued a company-wide letter informing staff of the publisher’s restructuring, which will mean sunsetting some live service titles and ceasing the development of certain projects.
In his letter, Wilson states that EA is restructuring to become more streamlined in order to deliver “deeper, more connected experiences for fans everywhere that build community, shape culture, and grow fandom.” To that end, the company will be moving away from licensed IPs and shutting down certain titles to shift its development resources.
“We are also sunsetting games and moving away from the development of future licensed IP that we do not believe will be successful in our changing industry,” says Wilson in the letter. “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 today and tomorrow.”
Wilson then speaks to the extent of the layoffs and how it will work with affected employees:
“While not every team will be impacted, this is the hardest part of these changes, and we have deeply considered every option to try and limit impacts to our teams. Our primary goal is to provide team members with opportunities to find new roles and paths to transition onto other projects. Where that’s not possible, we will support and work with each colleague with the utmost attention, care, and respect.”
In a statement to VGC, EA Entertainment president Laura Miele said in part, “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. Giving fans the next installments of the iconic franchises they want is the definition of blockbuster storytelling and the right place to focus.”
Last year, more than 10,000 people in the games industry or game-adjacent industries were laid off.