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EA lays off 300-400 staff, including 100 Respawn developers. Cancels 2 incubation projects at Respawn

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Apex Legends and Star Wars: Jedi Dev Respawn Cancels Another Incubation Project, Around 100 Employees Impacted - IGN

EA has canceled another incubation project at Respawn Entertainment today, and simultaneously laid off an unknown number of individuals across its incubation, Apex Legends, and Star Wars: Jedi teams, IGN has learned.
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EA has canceled another incubation project at Respawn Entertainment today, and simultaneously laid off a number of individuals across its incubation, Apex Legends, and Star Wars: Jedi teams, IGN has learned.

In a post today from the studio, Respawn announced is has "made the decision to step away from two early-stage incubation projects and make some targeted team adjustments across Apex Legends and Star Wars Jedi." One of these canceled incubation projects is the same one already reported on back in March.
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Electronic Arts Inc. is laying off hundreds of workers and canceling a Titanfall game that was in development at its Respawn Entertainment subsidiary.

Between 300 and 400 positions were eliminated, including around 100 at Respawn, according to a person familiar with the cuts.
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Incredibly sorry for all the people affected by the layoffs.

Titanfall fans can't catch a break like goddamn, we got one of the best FPS campaigns ever, Apex generated bilions for EA, and yet they can't let a sequel finish development.
 
Luke88 said:
Incredibly sorry for all the people affected by the layoffs.

Titanfall fans can't catch a break like goddamn, we got one of the best FPS campaigns ever, Apex generated bilions for EA, and yet they can't let a sequel finish development.
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Apparently didn’t generate enough & hasn’t been going in the direction they want.
 
ArkhamFantasy said:
When respawn was acquired by EA it was a common conclusion that they’d be thrown in the EA graveyard, layoffs aren’t the surprise here, it’s that they’re still alive after so long.

Don’t sell your company to AAA publishers unless you have no other choice.
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Well the people making the sale don't usually care they got theirs
 
ArkhamFantasy said:
When respawn was acquired by EA it was a common conclusion that they’d be thrown in the EA graveyard, layoffs aren’t the surprise here, it’s that they’re still alive after so long.

Don’t sell your company to AAA publishers unless you have no other choice.
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Is this even relevant? Considering the studio started as a part of an EA program that funded these studios. EA was part of the equation since the beginning, they just probably bought them to get the IPs...

I mean, Titanfall 2 released before que full acquisition.
 
If I remember well, FC25 has been the best selling game last year in the entire EU market?

And they e get rid of the FIFA licenze

And yet, it has been such and under performer to drive even layoff for so many people withi the company?

Speak about mismanagement, obviously by the top managers who won't be impacted

Man, I hate this industry sometimes
 
StardustTraveler said:
Jeff Grubb said this in response on Twitter (xcancel link):

"That Steve Fukuda project is in the bin. Laying off a ton of people. There is no Titanfall 3 -- as this should make clear. I don't think people realize just how much EA Football Club and Apex Legends missed last year. Dragon Age isn't even a factor compared to those two."

I wasn't aware that Football Club and Apex were underperforming. EA must really be in dire straits then.
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EAFC 25 was incredibly poor. Genuinely I've never seen such a bad reception for a FIFA/EAFC before.
 
Joseki said:
EAFC 25 was incredibly poor. Genuinely I've never seen such a bad reception for a FIFA/EAFC before.
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Yeah, I remember hearing that EA Sports FC was underperforming and if THAT game underperforms then EA's in big trouble because that's their cash cow from which everything pretty much revolves around.

In hindsight, no surprised there's layoffs, EA's scrambling to return to increasing profitability.
 
They are not really struggling. Just not as big as they were in previous years. EA is still making over $1 billion in profits. EA just chooses to spend most of that on stock buybacks.
 
Astrogamer said:
They are not really struggling. Just not as big as they were in previous years. EA is still making over $1 billion in profits. EA just chooses to spend most of that on stock buybacks.
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Layoffs are also probably to juice the stock. Their value's below T2 for the first time in awhile.
 
AinsworthReigate316 said:
The fact that both EA SPORTS FC and Apex Legends, which were once representative titles lauded in esports, are struggling suggests that it has become clear that esports also doesn't generate much money.
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It’s been clear for ages that esports doesn’t generate that much & is a money pit with exceptions. EASFC & AL are just two of many titles in that non-exception list.
 
Part of me is glad companies are moving away from esports, game tournaments are better as grassroots events instead of corporate shows.
 
Astrogamer said:
They are not really struggling. Just not as big as they were in previous years. EA is still making over $1 billion in profits. EA just chooses to spend most of that on stock buybacks.
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The issue is their profits are declining big time. Same issue with ABK. Its a worrying trend that will eventually squeeze them if measures are not taken to address it.

And these are the most durable publishers in the world. Mutiple billion dollar printing IPs. If even such publishers are feeling insecure, shows how risky the gaming business is getting.
 
E-sports were never a big chunk of the revenue generated by FIFA or Apex Legends, guys. If those games miss expectations it's most likely not because of a decline in E-sports revenue.
 
I can't even find the words to describe how much I despise this corporate moves. EA keeps being a cancer in the industry.
 
Codemasters layoffs New
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    • traxion.gg

    EA confirms both Codemasters layoffs and job redeployment following WRC cancellation

    The Southam-based Codemasters driving team seems to be no more following the cancellation of the WRC project and the halting of rally game development. EA has confirmed the reduction of “some roles” and also the “redeployment” of others.
    traxion.gg traxion.gg
    When asked specifically about redundancies at the rally-bred development team, EA provided the following statement to Traxion:

    “As a business, we are constantly evolving to meet the growing needs of our players and driving greater focus across our portfolio.

    “This has led us to look at reducing some roles, while we redeploy as many as possible against our strategic priorities, including our EA SPORTS F1 franchise.”
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    Earlier, Codemasters mentioned that EA Sports WRC was ending development and this report confirms the rally team at Codemasters Southam is no more with some amount of layoffs. Unclear if the studio is closed (with some staff relocating to the Birmingham studio) or are they just a support studio going forward.
     
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