Battlefield 6 was the best-selling premium video game in the United States during 2025, according to Circana. Two months after that result was reported, Electronic Arts announced layoffs at DICE, Criterion, Ripple Effect and Motive Studios—four teams that contributed to the game.
EA’s mandatory 10-K report, released on 28 July, presents the launch as a major success. The filing says Battlefield 6 met every milestone, launched with positive critical reception and maintained stable services and gameplay. It also states that the game’s performance contributed directly to EA’s proposed $55 billion sale to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
The same filing reveals that chief executive Andrew Wilson is receiving an additional $8 million, taking his total compensation for the year to $38,649,984. The figures have prompted difficult questions about how executive rewards are being balanced against job losses across the company.
Eurogamer highlighted the compensation details in EA’s newly published 10-K report. Chief financial officer Stuart Canfield is listed with compensation of $11,317,409, while Laura Miele, president of Entertainment and Central Development, received $13,713,557. Miele has recently promoted generative AI as a possible driver of creative innovation at EA.
What EA’s filing says about Battlefield 6
EA describes the game’s launch in particularly positive terms:
EA “achieved meeting all milestones for a high-quality launch of Battlefield 6 with positive critical reviews and stable services and gameplay, with interim milestones related to future launches being met.”
That assessment sits alongside the company’s workforce reductions. The affected studios include teams involved in the successful shooter, while the broader business has also reduced staff in other areas.
Layoffs extend beyond the Battlefield teams
In February, an unspecified number of developers at Full Circle—the studio working on Skate—were laid off. In June, unspecified numbers of EA employees in recruitment, customer support, trust and safety, and IT were also reported to have lost their jobs.
For players following the wider arcade and gaming news landscape, the situation reflects a broader industry tension: a commercially successful release can coexist with significant restructuring behind the scenes. The contrast is especially stark when a company celebrates launch milestones while reducing the teams responsible for delivering them.
EA’s filing does not explain why the company considers the game’s success sufficient to justify an extra $8 million for Wilson while developers connected to that success were made redundant. It also does not state whether reduced future payroll costs played any role in the compensation decision.
The issue has resonated beyond traditional console and PC releases, where audiences increasingly compare corporate results with the working conditions behind major games. For enthusiasts considering a dedicated setup, RETROCADE’s arcade-machine buying guide and range of arcade machines offer a separate way to enjoy gaming without relying on the latest blockbuster development cycle.
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