Summary
EA has reportedly laid off some employees from theApex Legendscommunity team working at Respawn Entertainment. This move related to theApex Legendsteam comes in the wake of a layoff announcement made by the California-based publisher last month.
Earlier, CEO Andrew Wilson had revealed there were plans to let go of5% of EA’s workforce, roughly 670 people. He said that these multi-part layoffs would be completed by the first half of the next quarter. The reason for this restructuring was revealed to be “an accelerating industry transformation where player needs and motivations have changed significantly.”
In a post on Twitter, Alex Ackerman, the ex-Global Social Media Lead forApex Legends, shared that she became the latest victim of EA’s layoffs. She revealed, “After 20 Seasons ofApexand 5 years at Respawn nearly to the day, my job has been made redundant and I have been laid off.” In addition, she highlighted that working on the battle royale title had been “the honor of my career” and “a highlight of my life.”
As soon as Ackerman broke the news, loads of supportive comments started pouring in. While some users expressed disappointment at her dismissal and thanked her for the work through the years, others questioned the company’s decision to ax the veteran who had been there all the way from Season 1 toSeason 20 ofApex Legends.
Intensive Restructuring by EA Amid an Alarming Layoff Surge
EA has been busy with canceling projects, closing down studios, and communicating layoffs these past few weeks. First, the gaming giant revealed it was striking off plans for aStar Wars-based FPS which was being developed at Respawn. Then, itshut down theBattlefield-centric development studio, Ridgeline Games. Besides that, work on mobile games – includingF1 Mobile Racing, MLB Tap Sports, The Lord of the Rings: Heroes of Middle-earth,andKim Kardashian Hollywood– were also announced for closure. The job cuts at EA are just one instance of an industry-wide layoff wave that is sweeping through.
Not long ago, some of the big names such as Riot Games, Xbox, PlayStation, andActivision Blizzard underwent organizational restructuring, resulting in layoffs. Game companies are shifting resources from certain projects to focus on those that they think have a higher chance of succeeding. These hard choices have stemmed partly from the increasing costs of producing a AAA game and partly because of overhiring during the pandemic era. What’s worrying is that 2023 saw a total of 10,000 employees being laid off, whereas the number for 2024 has already reached 8,000 in just over two months. As the year winds down, it will be worth keeping an eye on how the industry weathers this brutal layoff storm.
Apex Legends
WHERE TO PLAY
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