Electronic Arts is undergoing a massive internal restructuring, splitting EA Games’ studios into two separate organisations. The shakeup has now formed separate divisions EA Sports and EA Games, with the latter further being rebranded to EA Entertainment. As the name suggests, EA Entertainment will build upon owned blockbuster IPs, as well as licensed ones through strong collaborations. However, the name change from ‘Games’ to ‘Entertainment’ suggests that the company is looking to expand into media beyond video games. Meanwhile, EA Sports will continue to focus on sports simulation franchises such as Madden NFL and EA Sports FC (formerly FIFA).
“We’re building the future of interactive entertainment on a foundation of legendary franchises and innovative new experiences, which represents massive opportunities for growth,” Andrew Wilson, CEO, EA, said in a blog post. Laura Miele, who previously served as EA’s COO, will now lead EA Entertainment as the President, overseeing key studios and ‘empowering them with more creative ownership.’ She will work closely with other key executives like Vince Zampella, who will continue to lead the studios responsible for Apex Legends and Star Wars (Respawn Entertainment), alongside Battlefield (DICE). Meanwhile, Cam Weber has been appointed President of EA Sports and will be responsible for leading its sports simulation portfolio and racing games. Wilson will overlook both divisions as the CEO of EA, adding that the new leaders will work with their teams in the coming months to fully implement the new changes.
Basically, any IP that isn’t sports-related, such as from developers like Motive, BioWare, EA Originals, and Ridgeline Games comes under EA Entertainment. The internal shakeup comes in the wake of other changes within EA. Earlier this month, the long-running MMO Star Wars: The Old Republic switched to a third-party studio — going from BioWare to Broadsword Online Games, best known for its ongoing work on Ultima Online and Dark Age of Camelot. The report suggested that more than half of BioWare employees were expected to move over to Broadsword, with the remainder being allotted to other positions within the company or potentially being laid off.
“Our business remains strong, and I could not be more excited about our future as we bring more amazing games and experiences to more people around the world. Thank you for your creativity, passion, and all that you do, as we write the next great chapter of our story together,” Wilson concluded in the letter. EA has had a solid year so far, kicking off things with an impressively gory re-imagining of Dead Space, followed by Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, which while suffering from performance issues, proved to be a widely beloved sequel. It also plans to release a magic-based FPS called Immortals of Aveum, which got delayed until August 22 for further optimisation. Another major event was in April, where the company unveiled the logo for its rebranded FIFA game, EA Sports FC, following its split from the footballing federation.