Electronic Arts has reportedly cut an unknown number of jobs across several of its internal support divisions, with recruiting, customer support, trust and safety, and IT all said to be affected.
The cuts land as EA prepares for an expected $55bn sale backed by Saudi Arabia-linked investors, a deal that would rank among the biggest acquisitions in gaming history.
An internal email sent last Wednesday to EA’s Fan Care team described the move as part of an effort to “adapt how we work to better meet fans’ changing needs.” The message added that EA is “making or proposing to make changes to some roles, creating new roles, and moving certain work to different teams, locations, or service partners.”
That phrasing strongly suggests outsourcing, offshoring, or consolidation across the company’s player-facing support operations. “Fan Care” is EA’s internal name for the team that handles account issues, bans, payment problems, missing content, and reports of cheating or harassment.
EA hasn’t publicly confirmed the layoffs or shared a headcount. It’s also unclear which regions were hit, whether severance is being offered, or if any game development teams were touched. The reporting so far points only to corporate and support functions.
A familiar pattern at EA
This isn’t EA’s first restructuring rodeo. The publisher cut roughly 6% of its workforce in March 2023 and another 5% in February 2024, alongside office closures and project changes. The latest round fits neatly into a wider industry trend that has wiped out tens of thousands of gaming jobs since 2023, hitting Microsoft, Sony, Ubisoft, Embracer, Riot, Unity, and many more.
The expected $55bn sale would take EA private through a consortium tied to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which already owns Savvy Games Group, ESL FACEIT Group, and Scopely. Commentary around the deal has flagged it as a leveraged buyout, which typically piles debt onto the acquired company and increases pressure to cut costs.
Whatever happens next, EA’s valuation is propped up by its sports machine. EA Sports FC, Madden NFL, College Football, NHL, and F1 churn out predictable annual revenue, and Ultimate Team modes keep printing money long after launch. The Sims, Apex Legends, and Battlefield round out the portfolio with strong live-service and DLC pipelines.
