EA job cuts: Sims game paused and Skate team cut as 400 roles go

Hundreds of EA staff face cuts in major overhaul

The publisher is putting a separate The Sims game on hold and reducing the number of developers working on skate., its free-to-play reboot currently available in early access. 

The changes were outlined in an internal message from EA chief executive David Tinson and chief studios officer Cam Weber, according to Bloomberg.

The announcement follows reports that EA is closing BioWare and scrapping the studio’s planned Mass Effect 5. 

Approximately 50 of the latest job cuts are reportedly connected to BioWare, with the rest affecting teams across the wider company.

Tinson and Weber told employees that, despite EA’s strong position in the gaming market, the industry was becoming more competitive as players gained access to an expanding range of titles.

“Today, we're the number one publisher in Western HD gaming. That's an extraordinary position to lead from, and one we should be proud of,” they wrote.

Some EA games spared as restructuring continues

Among the projects facing changes is Project Lotus, a standalone title separate from the main The Sims games. 

EA has decided to suspend work on it while developers concentrate on Project Evergreen, with the company saying the move would give the team additional time to develop its vision for the game.

The Skate reboot will also be developed by a smaller, more focused team. EA has described the game’s progress since its early-access launch as successful, but is still changing how the project is managed.

Other upcoming releases appear to be continuing without disruption. Bloomberg’s report indicates that the game based on Marvel’s Iron Man and a third instalment in the Star Wars Jedi series are not affected by the changes.