Video game company “Electronic Arts” will lay off 5 percent of its employees report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday. More than 650 EA employees will lose their jobs in the move, part of a broader cutback that will see the company reduce office space and halt work on some video games.
EA’s layoffs are the latest in a long string of layoffs swayed video game industry since last year. More than 10,500 video game workers lost their jobs in 2023, and more than 6,000 people were laid off in the industry in January 2024 alone. Video game companies that have laid off workers so far include Microsoft, Riot Games and Unity. Tuesday, Sony announced that it is laying off 900 people from its PlayStation division, which is about 8 percent of its workforce.
In a memo sent to EA employees, CEO Andrew Wilson wrote that the company is “aligning our company’s operations to deliver deeper, more connected experiences for fans everywhere.” EA expects to end the layoffs early next quarter, the memo said. Wilson adds that the cuts will allow EA to focus more on its “biggest opportunities – the IP we own, sports and massive online communities.”
