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EA has made a round of layoffs at F1 developer Codemasters
04.12.2023 - 23:25 / videogameschronicle.com / Vince Zampella
Electronic Arts has made a round of layoffs at UK-based racing games developer Codemasters.
The publisher confirmed the redundancies in a statement to IGN, although it didn’t say how many employees were impacted by the move.
“Our business is constantly changing as we strive to deliver amazing games and services that keep our players engaged, connected, and inspired,” an EA spokesperson said.
“At times, this requires the company to make small-scale organizational changes that align our teams and resources to meet evolving business needs and priorities.
“We continue to work closely with those affected by these changes, providing appropriate support throughout this process.”
EA acquired Codemasters for $1.2 billion in early 2021, having trumped a previously accepted offer to buy the company made by Rockstar owner Take-Two.
The acquisition brought Codemasters’ F1 and FIA World Rally Championship licenses, and its owned IPs Grid, Dirt and Project Cars, under the same roof as EA’s Need for Speed and Burnout franchises.
Discussing the strategic rationale behind the deal prior to its completion, EA said it would create “a global leader in racing entertainment” and enable it “to release new racing experiences annually”.
Last year, Codemasters’ Dirt 5 team in Cheshire was integrated into fellow UK-based EA studio Criterion Games “to create the future of Need for Speed”.
Codemasters’ two most recent releases, June’s F1 2023 and November’s EA Sports WRC, have reportedly struggled commercially.
EA restructured its studios into two organisations, EA Sports and EA Entertainment, earlier this year. Criterion subsequently switched divisions, from the former to the latter, to work on the Battlefield franchise.
The publisher said Criterion would also continue to work on the Need for Speed series under the stewardship of Respawn co-founder Vince Zampella, who now leads the studios responsible for Apex Legends, its Star Wars and Battlefield games.
Job losses across the games industry have been widespread in 2023. Companies impacted by layoffs this year include Embracer, Xbox Game Studios, Epic Games, Sony Interactive Entertainment, CD Projekt, Unity, Ubisoft, Riot Games, Blizzard, Crystal Dynamics, BioWare, Striking Distance, Team17, Frontier Developments, Telltale Games, Digital Extremes, Amazon and Digital Bros.
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