Battlefield 6 teams at Dice, Criterion, Ripple Effect, and Motive hit by layoffs

EA confirmed a reorganisation across its Battlefield teams, citing the need to “better align teams around what matters most to our community.” All four studios—Dice, Criterion, Ripple Effect, and Motive—remain operational, but the exact number of impacted employees has not been disclosed.

An EA spokesperson told IGN: "We've made select changes within our Battlefield organization to better align our teams around what matters most to our community. Battlefield remains one of our biggest priorities, and we're continuing to invest in the franchise, guided by player feedback and insights from Battlefield Labs."

Battlefield 6 success

Battlefield 6 launched on 10 October 2025 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X. The game became the best-selling title of 2025 in the US, surpassing rivals including Call of Duty, with over 20 million copies sold. Its opening saw over 7 million units sold in the first three days, marking the franchise’s biggest launch. EA called it a “record-breaking success” and one of the “biggest gaming and entertainment launches of the year.”

Player retention struggles

Despite the strong launch, Battlefield 6 has struggled to maintain its player base. Concurrent Steam players peaked at over 700,000 at launch but fell below 100,000 in the following months. Post-launch support missteps and competition from other live-service shooters like Call of Duty and Arc Raiders contributed to declining engagement.

EA delayed the launch of Battlefield 6’s Season 2 in January to polish new content. The update, released on 17 February, included new maps, modes, and gameplay changes, but only increased concurrent Steam players to around 96,000—well below expectations for a high-budget franchise.

Looking ahead

EA emphasised that Battlefield remains a key priority and will continue to receive investment guided by player feedback. The layoffs reflect a restructuring rather than a shutdown, signalling the company’s intent to streamline development while maintaining the franchise’s long-term roadmap.