Just a heads up that this is the opinion of the writer. But, yeah, he’s on to something.
Video games are great. They are. They’re a lot of fun to play, and, these days, a lot of AAA and indie developers are absolutely killing it. But in the midst of all this, business decisions continue to weigh down the industry – especially when it comes to layoffs with, say, Battlefield. But Electronic Arts made a huge decision surrounding CEO Andrew Wilson that has bigger impact than anyone could expec, amongst others. And it leaves many questions.
As you know, Battlefield 6 dropped last year. And it was a tremendous return to form for the series. No, it didn’t replicate the good times of Bad Company, but it did bring back the intensity and excitement the series was missing. Not to mention the multiplayer was an absolute banger. It sold seven million copies in three days and continued onward to become a huge seller.
And yet, in the midst of all that, decisions were made to lay people off from the project. Hundreds across various teams lost their jobs, including a squad that was working on a story-oriented spin-off of the game. That was already enough of a crushing blow.
But then came reports of something that just doesn’t make sense – one singular employee making tremendous bank while others were put out of work. Let’s break down exactly what’s wrong with Andrew Wilson getting all that money when no one else does.
Does Andrew Wilson Deserve a $38 Million Payout With Battlefield Cuts?
Reports originated online earlier this week about Wilson scoring a $38 million payout for the 2026 fiscal year from Electronic Arts, for his duties as Chief Executive Officer. That’s an $8 million increase from what he received the year before.
Of course, in pure business fashion, EA explained why this payout was necessary, noting “business performance” on his end. They also noted that “all milestones for a high-quality launch” were met, including “positive critical reviews and stable services and gameplay.”
Well, that’s great…so why weren’t the developers rewarded instead?
Back in March, EA made the decision to lay off team members from various groups, including DICE, Criterion and Motive, amongst others. Ones that worked hard on the game. “We’ve made select changes within our Battlefieldorganization to better align our teams around what matters most to our community.”
They feel they’re community oriented…so how does a massive payout to one man make any sense? The truth is, it doesn’t.
The CEO does have the heart and soul to drive a team, that’s for sure. But to demand millions of dollars of compensation while others, who put in just as much effort if not more so, get shut out? That makes no sense.
Perhaps the move was made to showcase the company’s strengths to the Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, one of its most notable investors. But, still, it continues to show a practice that’s been going across many companies – reward the certain few while others get punished for it.
But hang on, it gets worse.
We Could’ve Had an Awesome Single Player Battlefield 6 Spin-Off, But…
Marcus Lehto is a familiar name to the gaming community. He was the co-creator of the Halo franchise, but soon departed to work on other things. In 2021, he worked with EA to create a new studio, Ridgeline Games, with a great goal in mind – a single-player Battlefield experience.
This team could’ve created some cool stuff, from a Battlefield 6 spin-off to the dream Bad Company sequel we all wanted. (What? It’s a good game.) But in the midst of their efforts, EA laid off the entire team. The entire team. Lehto departed soon thereafter, unhappy with what had taken place.
Over on X, Lehto noted, “Gut punched to see EA lay off my team. So many very talented devs who were incredibly valuable to the Battlefield franchise.”
With that, he also noted how he left EA on his own terms, unhappy with the company’s tactics. He noted how “incredibly upset and very sad” he was over the decision, and how Ridgeline’s squad “are very talented people whose lives are being upended needlessly.”
But that bonus, tho.
The single player campaign could’ve been huge for EA, who had already seen enough fallout from the controversy surrounding Star Wars: Battlefront II. But business got in the way, and, as a result, many talented people paid the price.
It’s a Disturbing Trend, and, Sadly, It’s Hard To See an End In Sight
Thousands are gone from the game industry over the past year, after many years of hard work and dedication. And it’s frustrating because they’re literally the heart and soul of the industry, not those above them who keep all the cash.
And what’s sad about all this is that the trend isn’t likely to end soon. We’ll likely see even more people departing – willingly or not – because of business decisions. And soon, it’ll leave you wondering just who’s left to make games. AI? No thanks. We require the heart and soul of real development talent, thanks.
Andrew Wilson’s payout isn’t anything new, as we’ve seen other CEOs benefit through their company in the last. But needs to serve as a wake-up call that something needs to change in the industry. Where we show appreciation to the people that make the games, and not just those that make decisions on who to close or not.
Wishing all those Battlefield 6 devs – especially the Ridgeline team – best of luck landing elsewhere. They’re good people and deserve good work.
As for Andrew…well, hey, enjoy that yacht, I suppose. Pretty soon the signs of rust will show.
Anyway, back to video games.
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