Summary
Electronic Arts (EA) has shared that Ridgeline Games, one of itsBattlefield-focused studios, will be closing. The announcement accompanied the news ofmass layoffs hitting EA, with 670 employees to be laid off. Ridgeline Games was responsible for the development of the single-playerBattlefieldproject, which will be handed off to another studio.
EAlaunched Ridgeline Games to work on a single-playerBattlefieldproject that has been described as a narrative campaign. The studio was founded in 2021 and was previously led by game director Marcus Lehto, who only recently made the decision to leave Ridgeline Games. Lehto’s departure sparked some speculation about problems with the project or within the studio.
The announcement of Ridgeline Games’ closure came alongside news of 670 EA employees being laid off as EA undergoes major restructuring amid turmoil within the game industry. Asreported by VGC, EA Entertainment president Laura Miele confirmed that the studio would be “winding down.” Development of the single-playerBattlefieldproject will be handed off to Criterion Games while some developers are moved to EA’s Ripple Effect to continue their work on theBattlefielduniverse. Despite theco-founder’s recent departure from Ridgeline Games, Lehto reacted to the news on Twitter, stating that he was “gut punched” and that EA will be losing developers who were incredibly valuable to the franchise.
Co-Founder of Ridgeline Games Comments on the Studio’s Closure
The shutdown and movement of developers could worry fans who are hopeful that the nextBattlefieldinstallment will correct the mistakes made with previous releases. The franchise’s latest entry,Battlefield 2042,was met with numerous disappointed players who believe thatBattlefield’s latest releases are misses for the franchise. With so much weight on the nextBattlefieldrelease, a major change in leadership and development teams could be detrimental and give fans reason for concern as they await the future ofBattlefield.
Ridgeline Games’ closure and EA’s layoffs come during an incredibly difficult time for the game industry, withPlayStation laying off 900 employeesand closing its London studio in the same week. In the first few months of 2024, the game industry has seen over 8,000 developers lose their jobs as studios scramble to cut costs. The struggles have persisted over the last year and a half, with 10,000 layoffs in 2023 and much of the turmoil being accredited to increased hiring and spending during the COVID-19 pandemic. While this reasoning has previously explained cost-cutting measures, some industry professionals are starting to look to other causes such as poor planning for the ebbs and flows of the game industry itself.
Battlefield
EA’s Battlefield franchise is a series of first-person shooter games. The games have predominantly been set in the modern day, though there have also been titles set in World War 1, World War 2, and in the near future.The Battlefield franchise is often compared to Call of Duty, with both franchises offering single-player campaigns and online multiplayer.
