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EA restructuring. Electronic Arts announced on October 21, 2026, a restructuring affecting much of its catalog. The company plans approximately 400 layoffs, corresponding to 3% of its global workforce, the closure of BioWare resulting in the cancellation of the new Mass Effect, and the interruption of development for a project related to The Sims.
The announcement was communicated via an internal memo signed by Chief Operating Officer David Tinson and Chief Studios Officer Cam Weber, subsequently published by the company and picked up by Bloomberg. The operation aims to recover up to $700 million in research and development costs, two months after the acquisition of the publisher by Saudi sovereign wealth fund PIF in a deal estimated at around $55 billion.
EA restructuring: why it matters
Regarding The Sims, EA has decided to focus resources on the project identified as Project Evergreen, suspending development of Project Lotus. The official motivation is to give the team “more time to reach the full potential and vision of the game.” The company speaks of a pause rather than a definitive cancellation, but it has provided neither a release window nor the platforms on which it might be released, without specifying in detail the nature of the two projects.
The context helps understand the importance of the decision. The Sims 4 was launched in September 2014 and, after more than twelve years, remains the only main chapter of the series, supported by a continuous flow of expansions, and became free-to-play in October 2022. On that occasion, EA had presented Project Rene, a multiplayer initiative designed also for mobile devices that never saw the light of day; several reports indicate that Project Lotus would be the evolution of that work. Those waiting for “Sims 5” will therefore have to continue relying on the 2014 chapter, while the series’ historical cadence (2000, 2004, 2009, 2014) has long since been interrupted.
The rest of the portfolio also follows this logic of concentration. The reboot of skate., released in early access, is defined as a success, but the Full Circle team will be downsized to adopt a more sustainable roadmap. However, the Iron Man game developed by Motive and the third chapter of Star Wars Jedi remain confirmed. Following the results achieved with Battlefield 6, Respawn and DICE will collaborate on an undefined future project, while EA Sports prepares the return of Fight Night and an open-world “social-first” experience dedicated to American football, named Project Gridiron.
What changes and what are the effects
Executives highlighted the company’s position, defining it in these hours as “the number one publisher in Western HD gaming,” but admitted that some choices are painful for the teams involved, who will be offered support in searching for new internal opportunities.
Source and further reading on EA restructuring: original article.
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