The head of the design direction of Electronic Arts Corporation, Patrick Soderlund, decided to leave the company, where he worked for about 20 years. He was not deterred even by very big money — shortly before that, EA paid a $20 million bonus to the top manager.
According to the published reports, Soderlund received the award as “a sign of recognition of a key role in the management of the company’s studios and the achievement of record financial results in 2017.”
The imminent resignation of Soderlund was announced by EA CEO Andrew Wilson in an open letter to employees. Wilson thanked Patrick for his contribution to the development of the gaming industry and the success of Electronic Arts, and wished good luck in “future adventures”. Nothing is yet known about the reasons for Soderlund’s departure from EA.
In the past, Patrick Soderlund led the Swedish DICE studio as CEO. After DICE came under the control of Electronic Arts in 2004, Soderlund headed the internal development division of EA Studios. Later, he advanced to executive vice president of the company and finally became the chief design officer of EA. Among other things, Soderlund was responsible for the development of the popular online shooter series Battlefield and the Frostbite game engine, which is used in many Electronic Arts projects.
Also on the topic:
- EA Vice President: the company will not allow a repeat of the loot box scandal in Anthem
- Senior Vice President of EA Mobile quit due to frequent trips
Source: Polygon