EA Cuts Jobs Across ‘Battlefield’ Studios Despite ‘Battlefield 6’ Dominating 2025 Sales
Electronic Arts has begun laying off employees across several studios that work on the Battlefield franchise. According to a report from IGN, staff members from multiple teams have been affected, including those at Criterion, DICE, Ripple Effect, and Motive Studios. The company has not revealed the exact number of workers who lost their jobs.
Sources told IGN that employees are being informed the layoffs are part of a company “realignment.” EA says the move is meant to adjust how the Battlefield teams operate while continuing long-term support for Battlefield 6. Even with the job cuts, all four studios will remain active and will keep working on the franchise.
An EA spokesperson addressed the situation in a statement to IGN. The company said, “We’ve made select changes within our Battlefield organization to better align our teams around what matters most to our community. Battlefield remains one of our biggest priorities, and we’re continuing to invest in the franchise, guided by player feedback and insights from Battlefield Labs.”
The layoffs come at a surprising time for the series. Battlefield 6 was the top-selling video game in the United States during 2025. The game also had the strongest launch in franchise history, selling about 7 million copies within its first three days. While critics had mixed opinions about the campaign, the multiplayer mode received stronger reactions and IGN gave it an 8 out of 10 at release.
Still, the months after launch have been challenging for the game. Some players have criticized updates and changes made through patches. Complaints have focused on cosmetics, gameplay movement, and heavy monetization. There has also been backlash over the use of generative AI for certain in-game items. Player feedback became strong enough that the developers delayed the start of Season 2 so they could make improvements. EA later released a three-month update roadmap to address community concerns.
Player activity on Steam has also dropped since the game’s huge launch. Battlefield 6 once reached a peak of 747,440 concurrent players on the platform. More recently, the numbers have fallen significantly, with peaks now around tens of thousands. For example, the game reached about 67,000 concurrent players on Steam recently. However, those numbers do not include players on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X and Series S.
The layoffs also follow a difficult period for the franchise. Battlefield leader Vince Zampella died unexpectedly in a car accident earlier this year. At the same time, EA is preparing for a possible $55 billion acquisition by an investment group that includes Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. The deal has not been finalized yet, and IGN reports that EA says the layoffs are not connected to the planned acquisition.
The situation shows how unpredictable the gaming industry can be. Even a game that sells millions of copies can still face criticism and changes behind the scenes. It also raises questions about how companies manage large teams during live-service games. What do you think about EA laying off staff while Battlefield 6 remains such a big title? Share your thoughts in the comments.
