EA is shuttering Ridgeline Video games, the studio co-founded by former Halo developer Marcus Lehto that was tasked with growing the narrative marketing campaign within the subsequent Battlefield. The closure follows phrase of Lehto’s departure earlier this week and coincides with a broader restructuring introduced earlier as we speak that may see EA lay off some 670 workers amid a shift away from future licensed IPs. The work that was begun on the Battlefield single-player marketing campaign will proceed.
In an inside word, EA Leisure president Laura Miele mentioned that Criterion producer Danny Isaac and studio head of artistic Darren White will substitute Lehto to proceed work on the deliberate narrative marketing campaign, with some members of Ridgeline Video games becoming a member of Ripple Impact to proceed engaged on Battlefield. DICE, Criterion and Ripple are all at the moment at work on the subsequent Battlefield sport, which has been confirmed however not absolutely revealed.
The closure is an abrupt finish for Ridgeline Video games, which was established in 2022 to work on the marketing campaign led by Lehto. Lehto is a Bungie veteran whose portfolio consists of serving as artistic director on Halo: Attain. He joined EA within the wake of criticism over Battlefield 2042’s lack of a single-player narrative marketing campaign.
Lehto just lately departed EA on what he says was “my very own accord,” with EA calling it a “private determination.” In her word, Miele expressed confidence within the upcoming Battlefield sport, calling it “bold and thrilling” and saying that it’s “making significant progress.” Miele praised the studios and management she says is “dedicated to constructing a Battlefield platform our followers will love.”
EA’s strikes add to a interval of turmoil for the video games business as Sony, Xbox, and different main publishers and platform holders reduce jobs and shut studios, with greater than 6000 video games business staff are estimated to have misplaced their jobs in 2024 alone. CEO Andrew Wilson has mentioned that EA’s “major objective is to supply crew members with alternatives to search out new roles and paths to transition onto different initiatives.”
“I have been within the business for 15 years and I’ve by no means seen issues this unhealthy,” mentioned one developer who had been just lately let go in our report on the continuing layoffs. “Everyone seems to be scared and ready to see if their studio goes to be subsequent. I’m frightened that this yr goes to trigger actual, everlasting injury and scarring to the sport devs affected, and it is not going to be good. The aftershocks of this are going to resonate for the foreseeable future. Video games are in the end a labor of affection and creativity, and a demoralized workforce will not be going to be at its finest.”
Kat Bailey is IGN’s Information Director in addition to co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Ship her a DM at @the_katbot.