Two months after selling to Saudi Arabia in the biggest leveraged buyout in history, Electronic Arts is overhauling its gaming portfolio and laying off 400 people in its first wave of major post-sale cuts. A broad overview of the plan was shared with staff today in a joint email from chief studios officer Cam Weber and chief operating officer David Tinson. In it, the two laid out what games the publisher will still be investing in and which ones it’s changing directions on. Mass Effect is out. Star Wars Battlefront 3 is in.
“Today, we’re the number one publisher in Western HD gaming,” the email said near the top, a copy of which was shared with Kotaku. “That’s an extraordinary position to lead from, and one we should be proud of. Yet our industry is changing quickly. Players have more choices than ever for their time and attention, competition is intensifying, and some of our biggest opportunities for growth are beyond the markets, platforms, and business models where EA has traditionally been the strongest.”
EA leadership said they had conducted a “hard look” at the business over the last several months and decided on three “strategic priorities” moving forward. The first is “saying no to some things we’re passionate about” to double-down on what’s already successful. The second is reaching more players in places like Asia. The third is to “create entirely new ways for fans to engage with” sports. Add them all up and what do you get?
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