Electronic Arts has laid off an unspecified number of developers across its Battlefield studios—including DICE, Criterion, Ripple Effect, and Motive—despite Battlefield 6's strong 2025 sales. The move, announced March 9, 2026, realigns teams around community priorities following developers' February comments on post-launch player decline. Affected studios will continue live-service updates.
Battlefield 6 launched successfully in October 2025, topping Steam charts with 7 million copies sold in three days, a peak of 747,440 concurrent players, and the top-selling premium game in the US per Circana, outselling Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. However, player numbers declined thereafter, prompting developer comments on February 16, 2026.
On March 9, 2026, EA confirmed layoffs at the studios as part of a 'realignment' to focus on player feedback from Battlefield Labs. An EA spokesperson said: "We've made select changes within our Battlefield organisation to better align our teams around what matters most to our community. Battlefield remains one of our biggest priorities, and we're continuing to invest in the franchise."
This follows community issues like a February skin redesign and season two gas mask problems, plus mixed reception for battle royale mode RedSec. Eurogamer gave the game 4 stars, calling it the 'best entry in ages' but strongest 'when it's actually being Battlefield.'
The changes come after franchise head Vince Zampella's death in a December 2025 car accident, dubbed an 'unimaginable loss' by EA. The title had a $400 million+ budget and aims for 100 million players, exceeding Battlefield 1's 30 million. Layoffs coincide with preparations for a $55 billion acquisition by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake Partners, and Affinity Partners, announced September 2025.
