In a strategic move towards the future, Electronic Arts (EA) is undergoing a restructuring that will form two different studios: EA Sports and EA Entertainment. CEO Andrew Wilson recently made this announcement, sharing a full statement outlining the significant changes and providing insights into their reasoning.
According to Wilson, this transformative phase aims to grant the studio leaders greater financial accountability and creative ownership. The company anticipates faster decision-making processes regarding go-to-market strategies and development by doing so.
These measures aim to expedite business growth, foster innovation, and generate long-term value for EA’s communities and employees. Players looking for Iowa sports betting odds can also benefit from this restructuring.
Designated Roles
Moving forward, the two newly established studios will have distinct roles. EA Entertainment will be responsible for the studio’s popular blockbuster franchises and licensed intellectual properties.
As emphasized by CEO Andrew Wilson, this division’s primary focus is to pave the way for the future of interactive entertainment, introducing innovative new experiences and building upon a strong foundation of legendary franchises.
In this restructured setup, Laura Miele has been appointed President of EA Entertainment, Technology & Central Development. The games leadership team within this division will maintain a structure similar to the previous one.
Vince Zampella will continue overseeing Battlefield, Star Wars games, and the Apex Legends franchise. Samantha Ryan will retain her responsibilities for managing blockbuster single-player experiences and lifestyle franchises. Additionally, Jeff Karp will continue leading the mobile teams within EA Entertainment.
On the EA Sports side, Cam Weber assumes the role of President, overseeing the entire racing portfolio and delivering genre-leading EA Sports experiences. David Tinson will lead the EA Experiences team, while Chris Bruzzo, the former Chief Experiences Officer, has chosen to retire.
Chief Financial Officer Chris Suh will leave, allowing Stuart Canfield to assume the role.
CEO Andrew Wilson, who will continue in his position, has expressed that the new leadership team will collaborate closely with their separate studios in the coming months to implement the recent organizational changes.
EA’s Big Restructuring
The developments represent the most recent phase of a significant reorganization within EA. EA stated earlier this month that Star Wars: The Old Republic will transition to a third-party developer, allowing many developers to resettle within the company. Whether this ongoing restructuring will lead to any layoffs remains to be seen.
Regarding EA Sports, they will continue to be responsible for the newly-acquired Super Mega Baseball, the PGA Tour, and the F1 series, which recently had a release. These titles are in addition to their existing blockbuster franchises, including the highly-anticipated reboot of College Football, NHL, and the newly-renamed EA Sports FC, Madden, NHL.
Under EA Entertainment, a wide range of prominent studios and labels will be brought together, including the EA Originals label, Motive Studio (Iron Man), BioWare, EA’s Seattle studio, Full Circle (Skate), Ridgeline Games (Battlefield), Ripple Effect, DICE, and Respawn.
This consolidation ensures that a diverse portfolio of creative talents and franchises falls under the purview of EA Entertainment.
In addition, EA’s mobile game offerings, such as the recently launched Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth and Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, are also part of the comprehensive lineup within the EA Entertainment umbrella.
Despite the apparent dramatic nature of the restructuring, a significant portion of the current structure will remain unchanged. Vince Zampella will continue leading the Battlefield franchise and Respawn, while Samantha Ryan will retain her role overseeing Motive Studios, Full Circle, Maxis, and BioWare.
The notable change revolves around the separation of EA Sports, which remains the primary revenue driver for EA. This shift aims to give studio leaders greater control over their respective domains.
EA’s soccer simulations, particularly FIFA 23, continue to generate substantial profits, contributing to the publisher’s net bookings nearing $2 billion. This strategic move underscores EA’s commitment to sustaining the success of its sports titles, which have been significant financial contributors.
