Game giant Electronic Arts has announced plans to cut staff by approximately 6% and reduce its office space, reports Reuters.

These changes will see approximately 800 staff lose their jobs. The company expects to incur between $170 million and $200 million in charges due to this restructuring.

In a blog post, CEO Andrew Wilson wrote: “As we drive greater focus across our portfolio, we are moving away from projects that do not contribute to our strategy, reviewing our real estate footprint, and restructuring some of our teams.”

Although around 6% of staff will lose their jobs, more will be affected by the restructuring, being given opportunities elsewhere within the organisation. Employees who are laid off will be provided with severance pay and additional benefits.

A disturbing trend

Many companies throughout the games industry have been implementing layoffs over the past several years as they attempt to maintain profitability in a challenging market. In the mobile space alone, gaming giants such as Tencent, SEA and Unity have all announced layoffs over the past year. In the first two months of 2023, layoffs throughout the tech sector saw around 63-thousand employees lose their jobs, according to data from Challenger, Gray, and Christmas Inc.

Notably, this also marks the second round of layoffs for EA in less than a month, with the company axing its contracted quality assurance team in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on March 1st, following the cancellation of Apex Legends Mobile. It’s currently unclear where EA is cutting staff, or whether it plans to eliminate certain teams entirely.

Reuters states that EA lowered its annual bookings forecast in January due to a delay in the release of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, which could have led - in part - to the decision to lay off staff.

We previously listed Electronic Arts as one of the top 50 mobile game makers of 2022.