Why are People being made redundant at EA?
The first-person shooter game, set in the Star Wars universe, was still in the early stages of production. It was claimed by the company that “streamlining” would “deliver deeper, more connected experiences for fans”. It is the most recent illustration of the widespread layoffs in the gaming sector. According to Rich Barham, a former executive at Blizzard, “video games run a significant risk of losing top talent outside of the industry and being impacted for years.” It is also very difficult to obtain funding to start a new game studio, and thousands of people are laid off every month.
In December 2023, EA revealed that it would be terminating employees at Codemasters, a UK-based developer best known for the racing games F1 23 and EA Sports WRC. Boss Andrew Wilson informed team members in a letter that the company had started contacting affected staff members and that the layoffs would likely be finished by summer. He explained the choice to create fewer new titles as well.
“We are also sunsetting games and moving away from the development of future licensed IP that we do not believe will be successful in our changing industry,” he stated.
“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.”
This is the most recent round of layoffs to affect the gaming business; in January, Microsoft announced that it intended to fire 1,900 employees from its gaming company, including those from Activision-Blizzard, which it had recently bought. And it happened only two days after Sony declared that it would close its renowned London Studio and lay off 900 employees. According to Sarah Stevens, CEO of gaming HR agency e-volveHR, “the impact of mass layoffs resonates deeply within the gaming community, particularly for the talented individuals affected.”Above all, humanity and kindness are the most important ingredients for those navigating these choppy waters.” Subsequently, EA Entertainment CEO Laura Miele informed staff via email that this meant the future Star Wars game being developed by subsidiary Respawn Entertainment would be canceled. It was behind Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, which the review aggregate Metacritic stated received “generally favorable” reviews. “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,” she stated. “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.”
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