EA laid off about 6 percent of its workforce, the latest in a string of industry-wide layoffs, as games and technology across the board show signs of struggle.
This information comes from the EA website, where CEO Andrew Wilson posted a statement after an initial round with employees. Before addressing news of the layoffs, the statement began by assuring employees that EA was operating from a “position of strength.”
“As we focus more on our portfolio, we are moving away from projects that do not contribute to our strategy, reviewing our real estate footprint, and restructuring some of our teams,” Wilson wrote. “These decisions are expected to affect approximately 6 percent of our company’s workforce. This is the hardest part, and we are going through the process with the utmost care and respect.”
Wilson went on to assure that the company will assist affected employees with “transitioning to other programs,” offering severance packages and fringe benefits, such as health care and career transition services, to those unable to establish themselves with the company.
The last few months have been a tumultuous time for EA. Until recently, Apex Legends’ publisher company fired around 200 QA people from the game (thanks GamesIndustry.biz). It also reportedly canceled a single-player Apex Legends project, leading many former employees to move on and start a new studio at Wildlight Entertainment.
Even so, it’s not all bad news for industry giants. Respawn Entertianment only recently committed to “10 to 15 years” of long-term support for Apex Legends as it opened its third studio, despite losing hundreds of QA staff. EA will also launch its next major single-player game, Star Wars: Last Stand, this April.
Of course, this didn’t do the hundreds of developers who were moved to other projects at best and lost their jobs at worst. It’s yet another dire wave hitting the hull of the gaming industry as a whole, as companies lay off staff and projects left and right in an effort to stay afloat. During a recession, there are no clear skies right now.
