The former director of a new Battlefield game has criticised EA, after he recently left the company and saw the studio he co-founded closed.
29.02.2024 - 10:23 / wccftech.com / Andrew Wilson / Laura Miele / Marcus Lehto / Alessio Palumbo
In yet another chapter of the seemingly unending layoff news, Electronic Arts (EA) announced it's laying off 5% of its employees, amounting to around 670 people.
Ridgeline Games, a Seattle studio founded by Marcus Lehto of Halo and Disintegration fame to make a Battlefield single player title, will be shut down. Lehto had recently left Ridgeline Games, and some employees will join Ripple Effect (rumored to be working on a free-to-play Battle Royale mode for the next Battlefield), while Criterion Games will lead the Battlefield single player work.
EA also confirmed the cancellation of the Star Wars first-person shooter game in development at Respawn Entertainment, which was rumored to be about a Mandalorian bounty hunter. There will, however, be a third Star Wars Jedi game. Laura Miele, President of EA Entertainment and Technology, wrote:
As we've looked at Respawn's portfolio over the last few months, what's clear is the games our players are most excited about are Jedi and Respawn's rich library of owned brands. Knowing this, we have decided to pivot away from early development on a Star Wars FPS Action game to focus our efforts on new projects based on our owned brands while providing support for existing games. 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.
That's part of a broader EA strategy to gradually move away from licensed IPs. CEO Andrew Wilson explained:
We are also sunsetting games and moving away from development of future licensed IP that we do not believe will be successful in our changing industry. 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.
The reason is likely due to the massive fees involved in big licensed IPs. However, beyond Star Wars Jedi 3, EA Motive will continue to work on the Iron Man game, while Cliffhanger Studio is still on the Black Panther game. At the same time, given this new strategy, it's hard to imagine these games getting sequels unless they are incredibly successful.
EA is only the latest company to announce massive layoffs in 2024. Riot cut 11% of its staff, and Microsoft around 8%, just like Sony did this week. There were also many cuts at smaller companies like Hidden Path, Supermassive Games, and more.
The former director of a new Battlefield game has criticised EA, after he recently left the company and saw the studio he co-founded closed.
Star Wars:Rogue Squadron's fate may not be sealed just yet. Patty Jenkins has announced she's still working on the Star Wars project, reigniting hope for the film's continuation.
Star Wars Jedi series and God of War III director Stig Asmussen has announced the establishment of Giant Skull, a new game studio dedicated to building “gameplay-driven, story immersed action–adventure games set in captivating worlds.” It is currently working on a AAA single-player-focused action adventure game built on Unreal Engine 5.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's director has founded a brand new studio in LA full of industry veterans, and they're currently working on a new action-adventure game in Unreal Engine 5.
The upcoming Star Wars strategy game is still in development, Bit Reactor has confirmed. The studio's project status update was offered as part of a wider reflection on the recent news of Electronic Arts canceling Respawn's Star Wars FPS, which was rumored to place the players in the shoes of a Mandalorian bounty hunter.
The Star Wars strategy game from Bit Reactor and EA is still in development, following the cancellation of a Star Wars shooter by Apex Legends studio Respawn last week.
EA is the latest game company to announce layoffs, with 5% of its workforce to be made redundant. From the most recent headcount EA provided – 13,400 in March 2023 – that would amount to around 670 people.
With the cancellation of Respawn Entertainment’s Star Wars first-person shooter, reportedly based on The Mandalorian, more details about the project have emerged courtesy of Insider Gaming’s Tom Henderson. It was noted to be “fantastic” from developer and playtest feedback, but Electronic Arts felt it was “too much of a financial risk.”
Details about Respawn's canceled Star Wars video game have emerged, as its first-person shooter gameplay would have seemingly provided players with an action-packed linear experience in the role of a Mandalorian bounty hunter. Though Respawn's foray into the Galaxy Far Far Away has been through Jedi: Fallen Order and Survivor, two critically acclaimed Star Wars titles, Respawn's rise to fame came through Titanfall, a first-person shooter franchise published by Electronic Arts. Widely praised for its fun gameplay, it made sense that Respawn would eventually tackle a Star Wars first-person shooter, which is why the project's cancelation came as a shock to the gaming community as a whole.
Electronic Arts has announced a restructuring plan that will see it lay off approximately 5% of its global workforce.
EA is the latest game company to announce layoffs, with 5% of its workforce to be made redundant. From the most recent headcount EA provided – 13,400 in March 2023 – that would amount to around 670 people.
Electronics Arts (EA) has confirmed plans to lay off around five percent of its staff, move away from developing future licensed games it doesn't think will be successful, and begin “winding down Ridgeline as a standalone studio.”