When EA was acquired by Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund, many anticipated main adjustments on the gaming firm, together with layoffs and sport cancellations, amongst different shakeups. Now, these have begun, with EA on October 21 confirming a collection of serious adjustments impacting the individuals and groups that labored on many storied franchises.
EA additionally teased a few of what’s to return sooner or later, together with a joint challenge between Respawn and DICE. This is a rundown of all the massive EA information at the moment.
Layoffs
EA mentioned in a press release that it made the “troublesome” alternative to put off workers, and Bloomberg reported that the cuts will impression about 400 individuals. Affected staffers can be handled with “care and respect,” EA mentioned, and a few impacted workers might have an opportunity to get a distinct job inside EA.
BioWare closes and new Mass Impact axed
BioWare, the esteemed Canadian developer based 30+ years in the past, is shutting down. The studio employed fewer than 100 individuals, Bloomberg reported, and the group was engaged on the subsequent Mass Impact. That sport is now canceled.
“BioWare is a legendary studio that helped outline the role-playing style, and we don’t take this resolution frivolously,” EA mentioned.
Builders at BioWare had feared their jobs had been in danger after PIF introduced that it could purchase EA. BioWare is understood, partly, for making pro-diversity video games that includes inclusive storytelling and characters.
Longtime BioWare author Patrick Weekes, who was laid off in 2025, speculated that EA’s new house owners, together with the PIF, would possibly wish to keep away from “homosexual stuff” and politics that the PIF’s management doesn’t agree with.
There was an outpouring of help and considerate messages about BioWare within the wake of the information, from followers and business professionals alike.
CD Projekt’s Michal Nowakowski mentioned his firm first bought to know BioWare when the studio did the work to localize Baldur’s Gate video games in Europe. Later, BioWare lent its sport engine to CD Projekt for the primary Witcher sport.
“Very unhappy for the individuals affected, but additionally unhappy to see a legendary model go down. Not an ideal day within the video games business,” he mentioned.
New The Sims sport paused
One other sport that is not going forward at EA is Undertaking Lotus, the codename for brand spanking new sport in The Sims franchise. One other The Sims sport, codename Undertaking Evergreen, is now the primary focus for the builders engaged on The Sims. Precisely what this sport is, nevertheless, stays a thriller, however The Sims is a juggernaut at EA and followers have been ready for a brand new sport for a very long time.
Skate will get scaled again
EA’s new Skate sport, which was launched in 2025, will stay on-line, however EA mentioned it is “making adjustments to the studio,” and that features chopping workers to create a “extra targeted, smaller group.” EA mentioned this may assist Skate have a “very clear roadmap” and one that may result in a “more healthy and extra sustainable enterprise.”
EA Sports activities open-world soccer sport
The EA Sports activities division, which is among the many strongest on the firm due partly to the profitable loot containers and microtransactions in Final Crew modes, proceed to function “from a place of energy,” EA mentioned. Along with the standard annual sports activities video games, EA mentioned it has two new initiatives within the works, together with a “brand-new, social-first open-world” soccer sport within the works below the codename Undertaking Gridiron. The opposite challenge is the subsequent Battle Night time, which is coming again after a 15-year hiatus.
Shooters
EA mentioned Battlefield 6 was a “nice success,” and that the studio “realized loads from the launch and stay service.” There can be future Battlefield video games, in addition to a brand new challenge to be collaboratively developed by Respawn and DICE. EA did not say what this can be, however many imagine it might be a brand new Star Wars: Battlefront, following current rumors that DICE might make that sport. Selection reported that sure, certainly, a brand new Battlefront sport is coming. This might not be shocking in any respect, given DICE’s two earlier Battlefront video games bought a mixed 33 million+ copies.
As for Apex Legends, EA mentioned it is going to proceed to “make investments closely” within the franchise by including new gameplay modes and “different new experiences.”
Iron Man and Star Wars Jedi
Whereas EA might have canceled its Black Panther sport already, the corporate’s different large Marvel sport, Iron Man, stays in growth. Moreover, the subsequent Star Wars Jedi sport remains to be on the way in which, EA confirmed.
“Past that, we’ll focus our efforts on fewer simultaneous, large-scale initiatives, making certain that each sport we construct on this area is totally arrange for fulfillment,” EA mentioned.
The largest leveraged buyout of all time
The PIF, together with Silver Lake and Affinity Companions, took EA personal in a $55 billion sale that was constructed as a leveraged buyout, or LBO. This was the biggest LBO ever, not simply in gaming, however within the historical past of all enterprise. For the reason that acquisition was “leveraged,” which means it comes with debt, and loads of it, so many anticipated EA to make main cuts to assist service that debt.
Previous to the deal closing, Piers Harding-Rolls of Ampere Evaluation mentioned EA might look to “lower extra spending and rationalize the corporate’s workforce” to assist usher in more cash to deal with the debt. A report from Monetary Occasions mentioned EA would possibly look to additional bolster AI instruments and applied sciences to assist lower growth prices and drive profitability.
Mat Piscatella of Circana advised GI.biz that the businesses being acquired in LBOs hardly ever fare effectively. “Leveraged buyouts have a sure historical past that usually hasn’t been nice for the acquired corporations,” he mentioned.