EA is making a major internal shift that will reorganize its major studios under two branches: EA Entertainment and EA Sports. CEO Andrew Wilson detailed the reasoning for the move in a blog post today. He said that the switch comes as the company aims to “further empower our creative teams so that we might realize our strategic vision.”
“This evolution of our company continues to empower our studio leaders with more creative ownership and financial accountability to make faster and more insightful decisions around development and go to market strategies,” Wilson said. “These steps will accelerate our business, drive growth, and deliver long-term value for our people, our players and our communities.”
Longtime EA executive Laura Miele is stepping in to serve as president of EA Entertainment, technology and central development moving forward. Respawn Entertainment’s Vince Zampella, meanwhile, will oversee the teams working on Apex Legends, Battlefield, and Star Wars video games. Lifestyle franchises and big-budget single-player experiences will be handled by Samantha Ryan, with Jeff Karp handling mobile experiences. Another change sees Cam Weber appointed to serve as president of EA Sports.
EA’s shuffling announcement also revealed that Chief Experiences Officer Chris Bruzzo is retiring, with David Tinson set to step up in his place. Chief Financial Officer Chris Suh is also leaving the company to pursue another opportunity. Stuart Canfield will take over that role. Overall, the changes signal a pretty massive change for EA’s internal operations, but it’s too soon to tell how it will impact the company going forward.
“Our business remains strong, and I could not be more excited about our future as we bring more amazing games and experiences to more people around the world,” Wilson added. “Thank you for your creativity, passion, and all that you do, as we write the next great chapter of our story together.”
The switch to move projects under the EA Entertainment and EA Sports umbrellas follows a few other recent shakeups seen at EA. Earlier this month, it was revealed that Star Wars: The Old Republic would be moving from EA developer BioWare to third-party developer Broadsword Online Games. The publisher also announced today that Ascendant Studios’ ambitious magic FPS Immortals of Aveum is delayed and will now launch in August instead of its previously planned July date.
