Electronic Arts (EA) is scrapping a forthcoming Star Wars game and will lay off 5% of its global workforce, or around 670 individuals.
The game was in early development and would have been a first-person shooter set in the Star Wars world.
According to the company, the “streamlining” will “deliver deeper, more connected experiences for fans”.
It’s the latest example of employment losses in the gaming sector.
“With it being an extremely difficult time to obtain funding to start a new game studio, and thousands being laid off by the month, video games run a significant risk of losing top talent outside of the industry and being impacted for years,” said Rich Barham, a former executive at gaming studio, Blizzard.
EA stated in December 2023 that it would be laying off employees at UK developer Codemasters, which is known for racing games like F1 23 and EA Sports WRC.
In a message to employees, CEO Andrew Wilson stated that the company has begun contacting affected employees, with the redundancies expected to be finished by summer.
Electronic Arts (EA) is scrapping a forthcoming Star Wars game and will lay off 5% of its global workforce, or around 670 individuals.
The game was in early development and would have been a first-person shooter set in the Star Wars world.
According to the company, the “streamlining” will “deliver deeper, more connected experiences for fans”.
It’s the latest example of employment losses in the gaming sector.
EA stated in December 2023 that it would be laying off employees at Codemasters, a UK developer famed for racing games F123 and EA Sports WRC.
EA announces layoffs, to wrap up by summer: Andrew Wilson tells employees
In a message to employees, manager Andrew Wilson stated that the company has begun contacting impacted employees, with the redundancies expected to be finished by summer.
He also addressed the rationale for creating fewer new titles.
“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,” he wrote.
“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.”‘
In a subsequent email to employees, EA entertainment boss Laura Miele stated that this meant scrapping the planned Star Wars project being developed by subsidiary Respawn Entertainment. It was in charge of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, which received “generally favorable” reviews according to aggregator Metacritic.
“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 said.
“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.”
Still more layoffs
This is the latest round of cuts to hammer the gaming sector; in January, Microsoft announced intentions to lay off 1,900 personnel in its gaming group, including some from recently bought Activision-Blizzard.
And it comes only two days after Sony announced intentions to lay off 900 employees and close its well-known London studio.
“The impact of mass layoffs resonates deeply within the gaming community, particularly for the talented individuals affected,” said Sarah Stevens, head of gaming HR firm e-volveHR.
“Above all, humanity and kindness are the most important ingredients for those navigating these choppy waters.”