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EA Confirms Another Round of Layoffs

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EA Confirms Another Round of Layoffs

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Electronic Arts has confirmed more staff layoffs, but has not revealed details about the teams affected or the final headcount.

“In recent weeks, EA has aligned all elements of its organizational structure behind priorities in new technologies and mobile,” EA said in a statement(Opens in a new window) on its website. “This has led to some difficult decisions to reduce the workforce in some locations. We are extremely grateful for the contributions made by each of our employees — those that are leaving EA will be missed by their colleagues and friends.

Kotaku reported(Opens in a new window) that an estimated 10 percent of the game maker’s workforce was let go; Polygon listed(Opens in a new window) the number “in the hundreds.”

“These are hard but essential changes as we focus on delivering great games and showing players around the world why to spend their time with us,” EA concluded.

A company spokesman declined to provide further comment.

As of last year, EA employed about 9,000 people, Kotaku reported. But that number has dwindled as the company continues to cut workers, beginning with February’s round of layoffs in Los Angeles and Montreal — part of a “console transition” ahead of the launch of Sony’s PlayStation 4. Earlier this month, a reported 170 Montreal-based EA mobile studio employees were left without a job.

Now, EA studios PopCap Vancouver and Quickline Studio have shut down, according to Twitter reports. Rumors are also circulating that the company is closing its 60-person Partners label, which Polygon said(Opens in a new window) was used to sign outside studios like Epic, Insomniac, and Respawn to make EA games.

The company has been struggling since March, when SimCity returned after a 10-year hiatus to overloaded servers and angry fans. Amidst the fallout, EA CEO John Riccitiello announced his resignation, effective March 30. Riccitiello also left EA’s board of director; newly named executive chairman Larry Probst is overseeing the search for a permanent CEO.

Massive layoffs and messy game launches recently earned Electronic Arts the title of “Worst Company in America,” for the second consecutive year, based on Consumerist’s annual poll.

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