Battlefield 6 Was a Hit. EA Still Hold Layoffs In Core Teams
EA has cut staff across Criterion, DICE, Ripple Effect, and Motive just months after Battlefield 6 became the top-selling game in the U.S. in 2025. The move shows how little a huge launch can protect developers when a live service game starts missing community expectations.
Battlefield 6 teams hit with layoffs
Electronic Arts has laid off an unknown number of developers across its Battlefield studios.
The cuts affect staff at DICE, Criterion, Ripple Effect, and Motive Studio, the four teams collectively responsible for Battlefield 6.
EA confirmed the layoffs but did not disclose how many employees were affected or which roles were impacted.
The company described the move as a “realignment” within the Battlefield organization.
“We’ve made select changes within our Battlefield organization to better align our teams around what matters most to our community,” an EA spokesperson said.
EA also emphasized that Battlefield remains a major priority and that development will continue across the franchise.
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All Battlefield studios remain active
Despite the layoffs, all four Battlefield studios remain operational.
Their focus now shifts to live-service support for Battlefield 6, including:
- Seasonal content updates
- Ongoing patches and balance changes
- Future seasonal roadmaps
- Feedback gathered through Battlefield Labs
This type of workforce reduction is not uncommon after a major game launch.
Large AAA games require hundreds of developers during production. Once a title ships, the teams needed to maintain a live-service game are usually smaller.
A huge launch for Battlefield 6
The layoffs come despite a massive launch for Battlefield 6.
According to market tracker Circana, the game became the best-selling premium game in the United States in 2025.
Other early milestones included:
- 7 million copies sold in the first three days
- The largest launch in Battlefield franchise history
- Strong early multiplayer reviews
It even outsold Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 in the U.S. last year, an unusual result for the long-running shooter rivalry.
Player criticism followed the launch
The months after release have been more turbulent.
Community feedback has highlighted several issues with the game, including:
- Heavy monetization and cosmetic pricing
- Use of generative AI in cosmetic content
- Slower content updates than expected
Some updates also drew criticism for movement changes and gameplay tweaks.
At launch, Steam reviews were “Mostly Positive.”
They have since dropped to “Mixed.”
Player activity has also fallen from its early highs.
- Peak Steam concurrents at launch: 747,000+ players
- Typical recent peaks: tens of thousands
That drop is common for multiplayer launches, but it appears steeper than EA may have anticipated.
Battlefield’s massive development budget
Battlefield 6 was also one of EA’s most expensive projects ever.
Reports in 2025 suggested the game cost more than $400 million to develop.
Internally, the company allegedly targeted 100 million players across its ecosystem.
For comparison: Battlefield 1, previously the franchise’s biggest success, reached around 30 million players.
Developers reportedly viewed the new target as extremely ambitious.
Major EA deal in progress
The layoffs also arrive during a major corporate transition for EA.
A consortium involving:
- Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund
- Silver Lake Partners
- Affinity Partners, led by Jared Kushner
is planning a $55 billion acquisition of EA.
The company previously said there would be no immediate workforce changes following the deal announcement. EA shareholders have already approved the transaction.
Our take
This story is becoming a familiar pattern in the modern games industry.
A massive AAA game launches, sells millions, and still ends with layoffs.
Battlefield 6 actually performed extremely well by most traditional measures. It sold fast, topped the U.S. charts, and revived a franchise that struggled after Battlefield 2042. Yet success still wasn’t enough to protect jobs.
The deeper issue may be AAA expectations that have spiraled out of control.
Spending $400 million and expecting 100 million players turns almost any result into a disappointment. When the target is that high, even a hit can look like underperformance.
The shift to live-service models also plays a role. Once the core game ships, companies often scale down teams because maintaining a game simply requires fewer people than building it.
But the optics remain rough. When the best-selling game of the year leads to layoffs, it reinforces the sense that success doesn’t guarantee stability for developers.
The real test will be what happens next.
If EA truly wants Battlefield to become a long-term platform, the studio structure and expectations around the franchise may need to change.
