Electronic Arts has issued a statement on a sizable round of layoffs that aim to ramp "down our current presence in Japan and Russia" and refocus on "increasing quality in our games and services."
Electronic Arts is cutting 350 jobs for its 9,000-strong workforce, with the bulk of those cuts hitting people in marketing, publishing, and operations positions.
EA CEO Andrew Wilson issued a statement on the massive round of layoffs right of the bat this morning, saying that it is the company’s “top priority” to do “everything we can to ensure we are looking after our people to help them through this period to find their next opportunity.”
“This is a difficult day,” said Wilson. “The changes we’re making today will impact about 350 roles in our 9,000-person company. These are important but very hard decisions, and we do not take them lightly. We are friends and colleagues at EA, we appreciate and value everyone’s contributions,”
In that statement, which can be found in full on EA’s website, Wilson says that today’s layoffs are the result of a restructuring and refocusing effort that aims to “better deliver on our commitments, refine our organization, and meet the needs of our players.” Those changes see 350 staff members let go, largely in marketing, publishing, and operations.
Wilson also says that the company is “ramping down our current presence in Japan and Russia as we focus on different ways to serve our players in those markets,” so it’s safe to say devs with roles relating to those regions have been affected as well.
Amid these layoffs, Wilson says that EA is focusing on “increasing quality in our games and services” and working to “[think] differently about how to amaze and inspire our players.”
If you or someone you know has been affected by these layoffs, you can email Gamasutra to share your story confidentially.
It's a significant wave of layoffs that comes during a year that's already seen so many developers affected by similar decisions at other companies. Activision Blizzard laid off an estimated 800 staff throughout its subsidiaries last month following a record quarter, EA reportedly laid off 40 to 50 developers at the mobile studio FireMonkeys shortly after, ArenaNet laid off an unspecified number as the result of both project cancellations and larger restructuring efforts, and Valve cut 13 positions and ended dealings with "a portion of" its contracted workforce that same month, just to name a few.
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