LogInI would've mentioned the optics here, but after all, it's EA we're talking about.
Throughout the entirety of 2024, Electronic Arts has relentlessly professed its commitment to the controversial generative AI technology, claiming it would make the company 30% more efficient, insisting developers feel a "hunger" for gen AI, and fully embracing it during September 2024's Investor Day presentation, proving that like does indeed attract like.
Enter 2025, and with "artificial intelligence" remaining a combination of words that gets investors aroused, EA continues to sing praises of the same technology that has already cost thousands their jobs, with CEO Andrew Wilson recently reaffirming that the studio is still pushing and advancing its AI agenda.
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Speaking during EA's Q4 2025 financial earnings call, Wilson took "a moment to talk about how AI is powering our future," describing the technology as "a powerful accelerator of creativity, innovation, and player connection."
Wilson said the company is investing in new workflows and capabilities to integrate AI across all of its teams, aiming to "enhance how we build, scale, and personalize experiences, from dynamic in-game worlds to delivering authentic athlete and team likenesses at incredible scale." He added that developers are using AI to "push the boundaries of what's possible in design, animation, and storytelling," ultimately enabling EA to deliver "deeper, more immersive gameplay."
"We know that road ahead may bring near-term economic uncertainty, but our focus, adaptability and strategic clarity gives us the tools to thrive," Wilson concluded. "This is an important moment for our company, and we've never been more optimistic about what comes next."
While Electronic Arts' tendency to jump from trend to trend based on what investors deem popular is hardly surprising at this point – let's not forget that before AI, Wilson was all about hyping up NFTs and blockchain gaming when those were in vogue among the corpos – the optics of the CEO's statement are particularly questionable given EA's latest round of layoffs that took place just a week ago.
Without offering a clear explanation for the decision, other than a formal, soulless kiss-off about them making "select changes within our organization that more effectively aligns teams and allocates resources," the studio recently eliminated approximately 300 to 400 employees, including around 100 at Respawn Entertainment alone – 10-20% of the Apex Legends developer's entire staff.
In the wake of the layoffs, Respawn also announced the cancellation of two unannounced games that were in early development, including R7, the long-rumored extraction shooter set in the Titanfall universe, which had been speculated based on EA job postings.
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