At the end of February, Electronic Arts announced a new stage of restructuring and the decision to lay off 670 people. According to IGN, one of the "victims" of the changes in the company was the Respawn Entertainment studio.
Apex Legends
According to the publication, the studio recently cut 23 employees, mainly involved in Apex Legends. Among those fired is Alex Ackerman, head of the Apex Legends social media team and the senior environment artist Denis Akulov.
In the financial report for October-December 2023, Electronic Arts said that the quarterly results of Apex Legends did not meet expectations. Nevertheless, the company noted that 2024 had started well for the game.
At the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media Conference & Telecom CEO of Electronic Arts Andrew Wilson called Apex Legends one of the most successful new IP companies, with an audience retention rate of 75% in five years. Now the developers want to make Apex Legends more attractive to beginners and are going to "take it beyond the boundaries of the royal battle."
Earlier, Electronic Arts announced the cancellation of the Star Wars shooter, which Respawn Entertainment was also working on.