Videogame giant Electronic Arts, in its first major move since going private this summer, is restructuring its studios business — which will result in layoffs of about 3% of global workforce.
\n\nThe updates to EA’s studios operations were outlined in a memo to EA employees Wednesday from Cam Weber, president and chief studios officer, and David Tinson, president and COO. “Over the past several months, we’ve taken a hard look at our business, how we operate, and what it will take to lead in this next era of interactive entertainment,” the execs said. (Read the full memo below.)
\n\nAmong the big changes: Games studio BioWare is shutting down after EA decided to pull the plug on its development of a new “Mass Effect” title. The company will close BioWare’s Canadian office in Edmonton. “BioWare is a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre, and we do not take this decision lightly,” Weber and Tinson said.
\n\nEA last reported 14,500 employees, meaning the layoffs affect around 400 staffers.
\n\nIn a social media post Wednesday, the BioWare team said: “For more than 30 years, BioWare has been more than a studio. It has been a home for storytellers, developers, and the…
Original source: https://variety.com/