Former Battlefield Director Criticizes EA Following Departure
Marcus Lehto, the former director of Battlefield, has spoken out on Twitter, expressing his dissatisfaction with his former employer Electronic Arts (EA) after parting ways with the company in February.
Lehto’s tweet conveyed his lack of positive sentiments towards EA, his recent departure, and the challenges faced by his team and others in the industry due to widespread layoffs. He stated, “Not been saying much here since I don’t have anything positive to say about EA, my recent departure, and how so many, including my team, are suffering due to the industry sweeping layoffs.”
His comments come shortly after EA announced a workforce reduction of 5%, which included the closure of Ridgeline Studios. Ridgeline had been responsible for the single-player development of the Battlefield franchise.
Laura Miele, president of EA Entertainment and Technology, suggested in the announcement of Ridgeline’s closure that Lehto’s departure played a role in the studio’s fate. She stated, “Marcus Lehto recently made a personal decision to leave the project. To ensure our work continues uninterrupted, we immediately appointed leadership at Criterion to oversee our single-player work. As part of this change, we’ll be winding down Ridgeline as a standalone studio in Seattle, with some team members joining Ripple Effect.”
Lehto’s public criticism of EA sheds light on the challenges faced by employees in the gaming industry, particularly in the aftermath of significant layoffs and studio closures.
