Electronic Arts is reshaping its game portfolio only two months after its sale to Saudi Arabia in history’s largest leveraged buyout. The first major post-sale reduction includes laying off 400 people in its first wave of major post-sale cuts.
In an internal message, chief studios officer Cam Weber and chief operating officer David Tinson outlined which projects will continue, which will be changed and where the publisher sees future growth. The clearest signal is that Mass Effect has been cancelled, while several Star Wars projects remain in development.
EA leadership described the company as the leading publisher in Western high-definition gaming, while acknowledging that players face more competition for their time and that growth opportunities are expanding into new regions, platforms and business models.
EA’s three strategic priorities
The review, conducted over several months, produced three broad priorities. EA plans to concentrate on fewer projects, expand its reach in markets such as Asia and develop new ways for audiences to engage with its sports properties.
That approach puts established franchises at the centre of the company’s next phase. The publisher’s continuing projects include:
- More Battlefield.
- Heavy investment in Apex Legends.
- A new shooter from DICE and Respawn, reportedly a new Star Wars Battlefront 3.
- Star Wars Jedi 3.
- Marvel’s Iron Man.
- EA Sports FC, formerly FIFA, alongside EA’s other annual sports franchises.
- Project Gridiron, described as a new open-world football experience.
- A return for Fight Night.
- Project Evergreen, a new Sims experience.
- More Skate.
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BioWare closes as Mass Effect is cancelled
The most prominent cancellation is the next Mass Effect. Its cancellation is also tied to the closure of BioWare, ending roughly three decades for the studio. The team was reportedly about 50 people, or approximately 12.5 per cent of the 400 incoming job cuts.
The restructuring does not affect only cancelled projects. EA is reducing the team at Full Circle, the studio developing Skate. Some affected developers have reported layoffs on LinkedIn.
EA said Skate has successfully attracted players, but now needs a more focused and smaller team to deliver a clearer long-term plan. The stated aim is a healthier and more sustainable business for the game and its community.
The Sims changes direction
Maxis is also revising its plans for The Sims. Work on Project Lotus has been paused, with the studio shifting its attention to Project Evergreen. EA said the change gives the team more time to develop the project’s intended scope and direction.
The company’s leaders framed the decision as an effort to give every retained game the strongest possible chance of succeeding with players. For anyone comparing modern releases with dedicated cabinets, RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide explains how to assess hardware and format before choosing a machine.
Debt will keep shaping EA’s choices
Although EA is no longer answering to public-market shareholders, the buyout was financed with billions of dollars in debt. Earlier reporting during the financing process said the company had committed to cutting $700 million in annual costs, including $170 million through organisational efficiencies.
The 400 announced job losses and project changes reveal part of that cost-cutting program, but they may not be the final reductions. The surviving portfolio shows EA favouring established franchises, live-service scale and sports opportunities while stepping away from some longer-term or less certain investments.
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