Originally published on The Daily Flare.
Electronic Arts said on October 21 it was pausing development on The Sims’ Project Lotus and closing BioWare, ending early work on the next Mass Effect.
The changes were set out in a letter to staff from chief operating officer David Tinson and chief studios officer Cam Weber, which EA also published on its news site. The letter described Lotus as paused, not cancelled, and said the company would prioritise a separate Sims project, codenamed Project Evergreen. EA said the move would give Evergreen’s team more time to realise the game’s full vision.
EA has not publicly described either project in detail. Lotus is an unannounced Sims game, while Evergreen is also a codename. PC Gamer has described Lotus as a project once presumed to be a precursor to The Sims 5, but EA’s letter does not call it that. The company has not said whether work on Lotus will carry over to future Sims releases.
The letter also said a small BioWare team had been working on early development for the next Mass Effect, but EA had decided not to move forward with that work. The resulting studio closure includes BioWare’s Edmonton workspace. EA called BioWare a legendary studio and said it did not take the decision lightly.
EA’s letter did not give a job-cut total. Bloomberg, citing a person familiar with the plans, reported that about 400 employees would be laid off, equal to roughly 3% of EA’s workforce. The reported cuts include about 50 BioWare employees. EA said it would support affected staff as they explore other roles within the company.
Company shifts resources to fewer projects
The Sims changes are part of a wider business review that EA framed around deepening its core franchises, expanding its reach and transforming its business. The letter described the company’s approach as making fewer, bigger bets. In its Lifestyle business, which includes The Sims and skate., EA said it was focused on the long-term potential of both franchises.
EA said the free-to-play skate. would continue, but its studio would move to a smaller, more focused team working to a clear roadmap. The letter said the game had succeeded in bringing players in, while identifying player engagement as an area the team needed to address. The move is another example of the restructuring reallocating teams and resources rather than ending every project in the affected areas.
Elsewhere in its announced plans, EA said Marvel’s Iron Man and the next Star Wars Jedi game remained on track. It also said future Battlefield titles would continue, with Respawn and DICE collaborating on an unannounced project, and that it planned continued investment in Apex Legends, including new multiplayer modes. EA reaffirmed its commitment to EA Sports FC and identified Project Gridiron, a social-first open-world American football game, and a return of Fight Night as upcoming projects. Fight Night is in pre-production.
The review was announced about two and a half months after EA went private. A consortium of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners completed its $55 billion acquisition on August 4, with roughly $20 billion in debt financing, according to Notebookcheck. EA’s October letter did not mention the new owners. The company said it planned to discuss its direction further at a global town hall in November.
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