Reported by 2 outlets
The story so far
AI summary of the reporting below · Updated · How we work
Electronic Arts announced plans to cut 400 positions across several studios, cancel projects, and close its BioWare subsidiary, letting go of most of the studio's remaining staff of around 50 people. The publisher is shifting focus toward its most profitable franchises following a $55 billion buyout by an investor group led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which left EA carrying $20 billion in debt. [1]
Current and former personnel speaking to Vertical Slice described a secrecy-driven work environment where staff were notified of dismissals via Zoom calls with disabled chat and hidden participant lists, leaving no chance to ask questions. Employees reported learning of coworker departures through LinkedIn due to internal privacy policies. Remaining workers stated they were pressured to absorb lingering tasks under executive calls to "do less, better," while managers pushed the adoption of generative tools like Claude. Staff claimed that while artificial intelligence was never explicitly declared mandatory, doing everyday work without it became increasingly difficult. [1][2]
Insiders criticized executive decisions, pointing to risk-averse management driven by user-experience research and failed pivots toward live-service formats at BioWare with Anthem and Veilguard. The cuts come amid wider video game industry contractions, including ongoing reductions across Microsoft's Xbox division aimed at cutting 3,200 roles. [1][2]
Last week, EA announced it's laying off 400 workers across multiple studios, cancelling projects and refocusing on its biggest money-makers. As part of that, EA closed down the iconic BioWare studio, letting go of most of its remaining staff of around 50 people.
via Eurogamer