News
Electronic Arts Restructures its Game Studios into EA Entertainment and EA Sports
Electronic Arts (EA) has unveiled a major restructuring plan, dividing its game studios into two separate organizations: EA Entertainment and EA Sports. The purpose of this split is to provide greater autonomy and financial accountability to the studios within the company.
EA Entertainment, which will be led by Laura Miele, the newly appointed president of EA Entertainment, Technology, and Central Development, will oversee the publisher's owned intellectual properties (IP) as well as licensed games. Miele, formerly EA's chief operating officer, will collaborate with other key executives such as Vince Zampella, co-founder of Respawn, a studio responsible for Apex Legends, Star Wars, and Battlefield games. Samantha Ryan will be in charge of the lifestyle franchises and blockbuster single-player games, while Jeff Karp will continue leading the mobile games business.
EA Sports will Focus on Sports and Racing Titles
Meanwhile, Cam Weber will retain his position as president of EA Sports, overseeing the organization responsible for the company's sports and racing games. This includes well-known franchises like Madden, the PGA Tour, the NHL, and EA Sports FC (formerly FIFA).
EA CEO Andrew Wilson emphasized the intention behind the restructuring, stating that it aims to grant studio leaders more creative ownership and financial accountability. The objective is to expedite decision-making processes related to game development and go-to-market strategies, ultimately driving business growth and delivering long-term value.
As part of the changes, Chris Bruzzo, the chief experience officer, is retiring from his role and will be succeeded by former chief marketing officer David Tinson. Additionally, chief financial officer Chris Suh has decided to leave the company, with Stuart Canfield, formerly the senior vice president of finance, taking on the role of CFO.
The restructuring plan follows EA's announcement in March about a reduction in its workforce, which involved a 6% cut and projected charges of up to $200 million. These charges include expenses associated with intellectual property impairment, employee severance, office space reductions, and other costs like contract cancellations.
The reorganization coincides with other recent developments at EA, such as the decision to forgo the FIFA license and rename the soccer franchise to EA Sports FC. Furthermore, the release of Immortals of Aveum, an EA Originals title, has been delayed to August 22, while reports suggest that Respawn had been working on Titanfall 3 for 10 months before pivoting to develop Apex Legends.
