Major Workforce Downsizing at EA Racing Studio

So, in some of my previous posts, I’ve talked about various EA games. If you want to check those out, I’ll drop the links at the end of this post, no worries.

But today, let’s focus on Firemonkeys, you know, that excellent studio that’s all about racing games. Unfortunately, there’s some recent not-so-great news buzzing around. They’ve been hit with layoffs, and it’s not looking good. Let’s dive into the details, shall we?

What is Firemonkeys?

Firemonkeys is a game development studio based in Melbourne, Australia, where I live. They make mobile games that you can play on your smartphone or tablet. They’re famous for their racing games.

This includes the “Real Racing” series, which is super realistic and has tons of licensed cars and tracks.

The studio was formed in 2012 when two other game companies joined forces. These two companies were Firemint and IronMonkey. Firemint had made a popular game called “Flight Control,” where you had to guide planes safely to landing. IronMonkey had worked on games like “Mass Effect: Infiltrator” and “Dead Space” for mobile.

One thing that makes Firemonkeys stand out is their ability to create games with console-like graphics and gameplay on mobile devices. They’re really good at using the power of your phone or tablet to give you an immersive experience.

Besides racing games, Firemonkeys has also worked on other titles like “The Sims FreePlay” and “Need for Speed: No Limits.” They’re known for paying attention to small details and making their games really engaging.

Firemonkeys is a top-notch game studio that makes awesome racing games and other exciting mobile titles. They’ve got a reputation for creating games that look and play like they belong on a console, and they’re definitely worth checking out if you’re into mobile gaming.

What’s up with the layoffs?

Layoffs are nothing new in the gaming industry, but things have been tough lately. EA’s Australian studio Firemonkeys is the latest victim of massive job cuts. Up to two-thirds of their developers are facing the axe.

According to a report from Kotaku AU, Firemonkeys is currently responsible for running three games. These include Real Racing 3, The Sims FreePlay, and Need for Speed: No Limits.

An EA spokesperson stated the following:

“We’re always evolving to bring our players engaging and inspiring games and services. As part of this, we’re making some changes to Firemonkeys Studio’s structure, allowing them to focus on supporting The Sims FreePlay.

Support for Real Racing 3 and Need for Speed: No Limits will be transitioned to existing teams at EA. We’ll work closely with all relevant teams during this transition.”

This means that the staff maintaining the racing games will either lose their jobs or be reassigned to other projects.

Service for those two games will reportedly be transferred to Slingshot. This is another studio owned by EA and located in India. These layoffs have also led to the cancellation of several projects.

This includes Real Racing 4, which has been resurrected and killed off multiple times by Firemonkeys. According to anonymous sources in the report, the racing games were doing well, but the mood in the studio is pretty darn depressing.

In March, EA’s CEO Andrew Wilson gave the company’s employees a business update. He mentioned the following:

“[We are] moving away from projects that don’t align with our strategy, reviewing our office locations, and reorganizing some of our teams. These decisions will affect around six percent of our workforce.”

It seems like a large portion of Firemonkeys’ staff falls into that 6% category. Other big studios that have been hit by layoffs recently include Relic Entertainment, the developer of Company of Heroes, and Firaxis Games, the team behind XCOM.

Final Words

The video game industry has been facing a wave of layoffs.

Major studios like Firemonkeys, Relic Entertainment, and Firaxis Games are being affected.

The recent layoffs at Firemonkeys have raised concerns as up to two-thirds of the developers’ staff have been impacted.

The restructuring aims to shift focus to supporting The Sims FreePlay while transitioning the maintenance of Real Racing 3 and Need for Speed: No Limits to other existing teams at EA.

These changes have resulted in canceled projects and a grim atmosphere within the studio.

If you enjoy my posts and would like to stay updated on the latest gaming-related news, technology advancements, design trends, and social media insights, I invite you to follow my profile.

I will continue to share my thoughts and insights on a wide range of topics in the world of entertainment and technology.

With that being said, thank you for reading my post, and have a good one.

Here are a couple of my previous stories relating to EA Studios I believe you will enjoy:

References

EA studio Firemonkeys allegedly set for significant layoffs.

EA Racing Studio Hit With Significant Layoffs.

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