Electronic Arts carried out a third round of layoffs in 2026, cutting jobs in recruitment, customer support (Fan Care), trust and safety, and IT teams, according to multiple sources [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The layoffs affected remote employees based in the United States as well as longstanding staff at EA's Hyderabad, India office [1, 2, 3].

On June 18, 2026, an internal email to the Fan Care department explained the changes as part of an effort to "adapt how we work to better meet fans’ changing needs." The email detailed plans to change some roles, create new roles, and move certain work to different teams, locations, or service partners, as one department head described [2, 3, 4, 5].

The latest cuts follow a series of job reductions dating back to 2023. Over 200 Apex Legends testers, Codemasters employees, and nearly 800 others were laid off that year. In 2024, about 670 employees were cut, including BioWare veterans. In 2025, about 300 more jobs were lost with the closure of Cliffhanger Games and layoffs at Respawn, alongside the announcement of the $55 billion leveraged buyout from a Saudi-led consortium [1, 2, 3, 5].

EA's current acquisition is backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake Partners, and Affinity Partners, Jared Kushner’s firm [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The Public Investment Fund will hold approximately 93.4% ownership of EA after the deal closes [1, 5]. The sale is pending approval from EU antitrust regulators, with a deadline set for July 22 or 23, 2026 [1, 2].

EA reported net revenue of $7.5 billion for its fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, a 1% increase compared with the prior year [2]. Despite these developments, the company declined to publicly comment on the layoffs or the ongoing sale process [1, 2, 3, 4].

EA CEO Andrew Wilson commented in late 2024 that artificial intelligence is central to the company’s strategy, with more than 100 AI projects underway. "AI was the very core of our business," he said [1].

The layoffs and the pending sale have drawn criticism from game workers’ unions, human rights advocates, and US politicians due to Saudi Arabia's human rights record and the nature of its investments [1, 3, 5].

EA is awaiting final European Union approval to complete the $55 billion sale to the Saudi-led consortium by the July 22/23, 2026 deadline [1, 2].