EA staff describe secretive layoffs and low morale
Current and former employees told Vertical Slice that layoff calls on Zoom hide participants and disable chat, leaving no room for questions.
Current and former EA staff have described a culture of secrecy around layoffs at the publisher, in a report published by Vertical Slice. According to the outlet, employees are told about cuts in Zoom calls where chat is disabled and other participants are hidden, with no chance to ask questions.
One former employee said they learned of a colleague's layoff through LinkedIn rather than through internal channels. Sources also said it can take weeks for EA to explain how the remaining team members should absorb the work of laid-off colleagues.
Staff told Vertical Slice that morale at EA has been terrible, and that management has emphasised generative AI tools such as Claude.
Last week, EA announced layoffs of 400 workers across multiple studios, cancelled projects and refocused on its biggest money-makers. As part of that round, the company closed BioWare, letting go of most of its remaining staff of around 50 people.
EA is carrying $20bn of debt following its $55bn acquisition by an investor consortium led mainly by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. Industry tracker Raj Patel said on Bluesky that 2026 is on track to be the worst year on record for games industry layoffs.
Quick answers
How does EA communicate layoffs to staff?
According to Vertical Slice, affected staff are told in Zoom calls with chat disabled and other participants hidden, with no chance to ask questions.
Did EA close BioWare?
Yes. As part of a round of 400 layoffs announced last week, EA closed BioWare, letting go of most of its remaining staff of around 50 people.