Dear Team,
First and foremost, thank you for your unwavering dedication.
In facing major challenges, your dedication to crafting exceptional games and experiences for our players has been nothing short of remarkable. Together, we have created vibrant worlds and global communities that engage hundreds of millions of individuals.
As it stands, we are proud to be the leading publisher in Western HD gaming. However, the landscape of our industry is evolving. Players now have numerous options vying for their attention, competition is on the rise, and significant growth opportunities lie beyond traditional markets, platforms, and business models where Electronic Arts (EA) has historically excelled.
In light of these changes, we have thoroughly reassessed our operations over the past few months, examining what it takes to lead in this new era of interactive entertainment. We have challenged established norms, confronted harsh truths, envisaged innovative possibilities, and made strategic decisions aimed at providing unparalleled experiences for our players while also ensuring sustained growth.
We believe that our most remarkable creative work arises when we clearly understand what matters most to our players and empower our teams to act swiftly. Consequently, we are focusing our teams, technologies, and investments on three key strategic priorities.
These priorities will lend clarity and focus to your daily work. We have actively listened to team feedback regarding what works, what hampers progress, and what you need to perform at your best. The feedback has been unified: there is a call for clearer priorities, swifter decisions, and enhanced collaboration among teams. We have already initiated steps to simplify our processes, enabling us to devote more time to creating and innovating for our players.
Across our portfolio, we are intentionally directing talent and resources to areas where we see the most significant potential for our players and long-term growth.
Shooters remain a key focus. Following the success of Battlefield 6, we have gained valuable insights from both its launch and ongoing service. We will use these insights to better allocate resources and leverage technology, aiming to build a shooter portfolio that fosters growth. In addition to future Battlefield titles, we are integrating the efforts of our Respawn and DICE studios for a collaborative project that aligns with this ambition. We look forward to sharing more details soon. Furthermore, we’re set to invest heavily in Apex Legends, introducing new gameplay modes and experiences to enhance its universe.
In the competitive action-adventure genre, we are committed to fully supporting our upcoming launches: Marvel’s Iron Man and the next Star Wars Jedi game. Beyond these projects, we will streamline our focus to fewer large-scale projects to ensure that each game we develop is positioned for success.
In alignment with our focus on larger opportunities, a small team at BioWare has been working on early development for the next installment of Mass Effect. After careful consideration, we have decided to halt this development, which will result in the closure of the studio and the Edmonton workspace. This decision is particularly difficult as BioWare is renowned for its significant contributions to the role-playing genre.
EA SPORTS remains robust, with ongoing investments in the global expansion of our FC franchise and the full portfolio of EA SPORTS offerings. New projects are underway, including an innovative, social-first open-world experience for our American Football team, dubbed “Project Gridiron,” along with a revival of the fan-favorite Fight Night, utilizing the capabilities of our simulation fighting team.
In the Lifestyle segment, we are focusing on maximizing the potential of The Sims and skate. We will prioritize “Project Evergreen” for The Sims, allowing more time to achieve the full vision for the game while pausing development on “Project Lotus.” For skate., after successfully engaging players, we are restructuring the studio to create a more streamlined team that will facilitate a clear roadmap for our community, fostering a healthier and long-term business.
The decisions we’ve made regarding our priorities, work processes, and portfolio reflect our strong belief in EA’s future. Some choices open new and exciting opportunities, while others are more challenging, particularly for those directly affected within the company. We are committed to supporting impacted employees in exploring alternative opportunities within EA and will ensure that all colleagues are treated with care and respect during this transition.
We anticipate that there will be questions regarding what these changes entail for individual teams and for EA as a whole. Team members are encouraged to have conversations with their leaders for additional insights, and we will also discuss our direction and the path ahead during our upcoming Global Town Hall in November.
The past few months have reinforced our confidence in EA’s potential. We have exceptional talent, franchises that resonate with millions, and opportunities to develop experiences still in their infancy.
Our duty is to make informed decisions, offer clarity, and create conditions that enable our teams to excel. We aim to give every game we choose to develop the best possible chance for success among players and fans globally.
We look forward to collaborating on creating more outstanding games and experiences.
Thank you,
Cam & David
Editor’s Take
The recent restructuring at EA underscores the shifting dynamics within the gaming industry. As competition intensifies, prioritizing key franchises and streamlining operations could enable EA to harness new growth avenues. However, the closure of BioWare’s Edmonton studio raises concerns about preserving legacy games. These decisions will have broad implications for developers and players alike, influencing future game development strategies.
Source: www.theverge.com
