“A cold dead place that’s slowly decaying”
By “You’re merely figures on a roster.”
Image credit: BioWare
Last week, EA declared it is terminating 400 employees across various studios, halting projects and redirecting focus onto its primary revenue sources. As a part of this decision, EA dismantled the renowned BioWare studio, releasing most of its remaining workforce of around 50 individuals.
The atmosphere within EA is, predictably, bleak. In discussions with Vertical Slice, several current and former employees disclosed a culture of confidentiality regarding layoffs, along with uncertainty about who exactly is impacted and how their teams are expected to proceed without them.
One ex-employee mentioned that her teammates only learned about her layoff via LinkedIn, despite their direct collaboration. Per the report, this aligns with EA’s strategy to “uphold the privacy of anyone affected”, but other employees perceive it differently.
“My belief is that it is intended to segregate those who are laid off,” one informant stated. “Depending on the scale of the layoffs, it might take us a week or more to regain our balance and determine our next steps.”
This scenario also influences the work itself, as ongoing assignments become the obligation of the fewer remaining team members. However, an insider revealed that it may take weeks for EA to relay those specific details to employees and establish a way forward.
EA’s method of informing impacted employees of their job loss is one that should be recognizable to anyone familiar with the contemporary corporate landscape. According to several sources, staff are invited to a Zoom meeting where the chat is disabled and participants are obscured. During this call, they are informed of their layoff, without an opportunity to ask questions or bid farewell to colleagues.
“You’re being let go because you’re just figures on a roster,” one source remarked. “There’s never a comprehension of the actual project [you’re engaged in].”
Sources further indicated that EA is emphasizing profits above the welfare of its personnel,
