Electronic Arts (EA) cancels an upcoming Star Wars game and will lay off 5% of its worldwide employees – about 670 people.
The game, which was in an early development stage, would be a first-person shooter that would take place in the Star Wars universe.
The company stated that “simplification” will “provide deeper, more connected experiences for friends”.
It is the latest example of job cuts sweeping the video games industry.
“As it is very difficult to obtain capital to start a new game studio, and thousands of layoffs happen every month, video games face a significant risk of losing top talent out of the industry and being affected for years,” said Rich Barham, former executive of the game studio Blizzard.
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EA announced in December 2023 that it would lay off staff at British development studio Codemasters, known for racing games F1 23 and EA Sports WRC.
Σε ένα γράμμα προς τους εργαζομένους, ο αφεντικός Andrew Wilson είπε ότι η εταιρεία είχε αρχίσει να επικοινωνεί με τους επηρεασμένους εργαζομένους, με τις απολύσεις να αναμένεται να ολοκληρωθούν μέχρι το καλοκαίρι.
Εξήγησε επίσης την απόφαση να αναπτυχθούν λιγότερα νέα τίτλοι.
“We also gather titles and move away from developing future IP licenses that we don’t believe will succeed in changing our industry,” wrote.
“This greater focus allows us to promote creativity, accelerate innovation and double‑focus on our biggest opportunities – including our own IP, sports and massive online communities – to provide the entertainment that players want today and tomorrow.”
In a subsequent email to employees, EA entertainment chief Laura Miele said this meant the cancellation of an upcoming Star Wars title that subsidiary Respawn Entertainment was working on. She was responsible for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, which had “generally favorable” reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic.
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“As we looked at Respawn's portfolio over the past months, it is clear that the games our players are most excited about are Jedi and Respawn's rich library of endings,” he said.
“It’s always difficult to abandon a project, and this decision does not reflect the talent, grit, or passion of the team for the game.” This is the latest in a series of layoffs to hit the video game industry, which in January saw Microsoft unveil plans to lay off 1,900 people in its video game division, including some at its recently acquired Activision-Blizzard.
More layoffs again!
And it comes just two days after Sony announced the layoff of 900 employees, as well as the closure of its well-known London Studio.
“The impacts of the mass layoffs resonate deeply in the gaming community, especially for the talented individuals affected,” said Sarah Stevens, head of the human resources management company e-volveHR.
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“Above all, humanity and kindness are the most important components for those who sail these turbulent waters.”
Karol Severin, senior analyst at Midia Research, said that the most recent cuts show how intense competition is becoming in the video games industry.
“This does not mean that the industry is in crisis, it simply enters a new, more mature chapter of its life – a chapter where efficiency, profitability and competitive capabilities are the dominant values.
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“The video games industry is still a $223 billion (£176 billion) industry, and it is expected to grow by about another $78 billion by 2030,” he said.
“To have an idea, this is more than the current size of the global recorded music industry.”
Source of information: bbc.com
