EA's New Owner Plans AI Pivot 'To Significantly Cut Operating Costs'— Report

After last week's leak of an EA buyout, an official agreement was announced that would see the game studio be bought out by PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners for a whopping $55 bn, with the current CEO, Andrew Wilson, remaining in his post for the time being. The deal is slated to go into effect in Q1 FY2027, pending shareholder and regulatory approvals. A subsequent report by The Financial Times, however, has provided slightly more details about the future of EA under its new ownership.According to the new report, investors are banking on using AI to cut EA's operating costs and "manage a large debt load," indicating that we may see a drastic shift to the inclusion of AI in games, where it may replace developers and actors, although it is so far unclear exactly how EA and its new owners plan to leverage AI in the company's projects. This news comes mere months after the United Videogame Workers Union was founded , partially in response to the rise of artificial intelligence in gaming and mass layoffs that have plagued the gaming industry of late.

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I'd feel bad but....this is EA, and EA development houses. They've had a contract signed with the devil for a long time. None of this should be surprising. Posted on Sep 29th 2025, 11:30 Reply

Linux Advocate This will be a complete disaster if they use AI for coding... Sure, it can handle some code to replace junior devs, but the seniors and product owners still have to review all of that code and spend time fixing it. And then when the seniors retire out there won't be any juniors left to step up and take a senior role. The industry is doomed. Posted on Sep 29th 2025, 11:38 Reply

Easy Rhino This will be a complete disaster if they use AI for coding... Sure, it can handle some code to replace junior devs, but the seniors and product owners still have to review all of that code and spend time fixing it. And then when the seniors retire out there won't be any juniors left to step up and take a senior role. The industry is doomed. Most likely it will be to entirely cut out most of the HR, team lead, recruiter, and marketing departments, and for voice acting, which AI is already really good at doing. I doubt much of the technical department will see cuts, like most of the tech industry. Might see some AI generated textures and other assets, but EA was likely already planning on doing that regardless. Most likely it will be to entirely cut out most of the HR, team lead, recruiter, and marketing departments, and for voice acting, which AI is already really good at doing. I doubt much of the technical department will see cuts, like most of the tech industry. Might see some AI generated textures and other assets, but EA was likely already planning on doing that regardless. Posted on Sep 29th 2025, 11:47 Reply

RIP Titanfall, Battlefield, Battlefront, Mirror's Edge, Crysis, Mass Effect, Star Wars, Dead Space, Dragon Age, Ultima, and more.

EA sucks, but I'll take lootboxes and overpriced DLC over AI and oil money completely destroying the essence of video games as an art form. Posted on Sep 29th 2025, 11:54 Reply

This is whats happen when GREED is more importante then ART... EA is going to die... on the hands of Investment Funds (this is the capitalist form of cancer).... Posted on Sep 29th 2025, 12:17 Reply

Operating costs are never all those mid lvl executives worth nothing, good for nothing, who have never done nothing, but are there to lead a meeting, do a P&L or tell everybody what "pareto" is.

Game developing, and industry in general is getting so vertical... jenga its the best way to describe it. Posted on Sep 29th 2025, 12:19 Reply

Private equity strikes again. It seems to be a common theme that ruins companies these days. I am not surprised that EA is now on the chopping block. AI will not truly replace human talent. Posted on Sep 29th 2025, 13:12 Reply

LastDudeALive RIP Titanfall, Battlefield, Battlefront, Mirror's Edge, Crysis, Mass Effect, Star Wars, Dead Space, Dragon Age, Ultima, and more.

EA sucks, but I'll take lootboxes and overpriced DLC over AI and oil money completely destroying the essence of video games as an art form. Exactly. Anyone who thinks this will be better is in for a rude awakening. I was hoping BF6 would be at least somewhat authentic, but now I know 6-12 months post release it will be like CoD and other freemium games. Some of the other games you mentioned would have been nice to see some good follow ups to. I really hope Jedi Fallen Order 3 is well under way and will not be impacted. Exactly. Anyone who thinks this will be better is in for a rude awakening. I was hoping BF6 would be at least somewhat authentic, but now I know 6-12 months post release it will be like CoD and other freemium games. Some of the other games you mentioned would have been nice to see some good follow ups to. I really hope Jedi Fallen Order 3 is well under way and will not be impacted. Posted on Sep 29th 2025, 13:23 Reply

EA using AI couldn't get much worse than what they've already been doing, AI will throw code together then they'll have some underpaid developers fix the bare minimum and EA will let their players be the beta testers.

But when people were willing to open their wallets to lootboxes and overpriced DLC's, and it took AI slop for people to quit handing EA money then video games as an art form have died long ago. Posted on Sep 29th 2025, 13:43 Reply

~Technological Technocrat~ In another news. EA continues to destroy the gaming industry.

Looks like bf6 is probably going to be the last possibly good BF game we are going to get. Posted on Sep 29th 2025, 13:55 Reply

Does EA have useful patents? Any reason to think this is mostly a patent purchase with the intent to sue other game publishers or devs with the intent to recover the purchase costs and more? Posted on Sep 29th 2025, 13:56 Reply

FreedomEclipse In another news. EA continues to destroy the gaming industry.

Looks like bf6 is probably going to be the last possibly good BF game we are going to get. If only BF players could now come to the realization theyve been buying the same reskinned game for years, that would be something! If only BF players could now come to the realization theyve been buying the same reskinned game for years, that would be something! Posted on Sep 29th 2025, 14:13 Reply

~Technological Technocrat~ Lew Zealand Does EA have useful patents? Any reason to think this is mostly a patent purchase with the intent to sue other game publishers or devs with the intent to recover the purchase costs and more? Probably not so much patents but more intellectual property. EA has swallowed up MANY MANY small publishers and dev studios over its life span. Probably not so much patents but more intellectual property. EA has swallowed up MANY MANY small publishers and dev studios over its life span. Posted on Sep 29th 2025, 14:16 Reply

Learn to code Posted on Sep 29th 2025, 14:22 Reply

Seems like the end game is that there will no longer be a need for studios and publishers. Any random person could just dream up a plot and gameplay and gen-AI does the rest. If this sounds familiar, it's because you watched TNG. And we all know how safe and bug-free those Holodecks were. They should have a had a "X days since last accident" sign on the door. Posted on Sep 29th 2025, 15:09 Reply

FreedomEclipse Probably not so much patents but more intellectual property. EA has swallowed up MANY MANY small publishers and dev studios over its life span. And now they've been swallowed up by an even bigger financial leviathan.

Live by the sword, die by the sword. And now they've been swallowed up by an even bigger financial leviathan.Live by the sword, die by the sword. Posted on Sep 29th 2025, 20:25 Reply

Sure, AI will make EA and it's games much better. Cus if we are lazy greedy busterds moar AI willl make the change.

Auto pilot to the nearest sun... Posted on Sep 29th 2025, 22:29 Reply

Ultimately, I don't think we have anything to worry about, it's not like EA can sink lower than where they are right now. Finest purveyors of digital slop, placing those who don't really play video games as their maximum priority. Besides, as long as they can peddle Sims 4 DLC's to casuals, they'll remain profitable.

Don't break the sacred code of conduct by trash talking your garbage teammates now, meanie. Posted on Sep 29th 2025, 23:35 Reply

What could possibly go wrong... Posted on Sep 30th 2025, 0:08 Reply

EA sucks, but I'll take lootboxes and overpriced DLC over AI and oil money completely destroying the essence of video games as an art form. Well, most of them - Titanfall, Battlefront, Mirror's Edge, Crysis, Dead Space and especially Ultima - were already dead for many years.

Star Wars is a license; EA has to my understanding no longer the exclusive rights to publish games in the franchise but it certainly is sad to see Respawn go. Their Star Wars: Zero Company will be my last EA game...if even that. Well, most of them - Titanfall, Battlefront, Mirror's Edge, Crysis, Dead Space and especially Ultima - were already dead for many years.Star Wars is a license; EA has to my understanding no longer the exclusive rights to publish games in the franchise but it certainly is sad to see Respawn go. Theirwill be my last EA game...if even that. Posted on Sep 30th 2025, 2:05 Reply

TheinsanegamerN Most likely it will be to entirely cut most of the HR, team lead, recruiter, and marketing departments, and for voice acting, which AI is already really good at doing. I doubt much of the technical department will see cuts, like most of the tech industry. Might see some AI generated textures and other assets, but EA was likely already planning on doing that regardless. One of the most reasonable takes here

Publicly traded companies are under pressure from shareholders to increase profits by any means. Going private gives freedom and creativity to the company

Valve still private and it would be a very different one otherwise

And about the use of AI, every studio is doing it, every developer I know stopped using Google and now asks to ChatGPT. Voice actors now can act and then change how they sound with AI, and it works really well. AI it's also getting really good at generating video and images One of the most reasonable takes herePublicly traded companies are under pressure from shareholders to increase profits by any means. Going private gives freedom and creativity to the companyValve still private and it would be a very different one otherwiseAnd about the use of AI, every studio is doing it, every developer I know stopped using Google and now asks to ChatGPT. Voice actors now can act and then change how they sound with AI, and it works really well. AI it's also getting really good at generating video and images Posted on Sep 30th 2025, 2:11 Reply

FreedomEclipse In another news. EA continues to destroy the gaming industry. This is such a naive view. What EA, and other corporations are doing, is in their DNA. They’re a symptom, not a cause. And what is the cause? This is such a naive view. What EA, and other corporations are doing, is in their DNA. They’re a symptom, not a cause. And what is the cause? Posted on Sep 30th 2025, 2:42 Reply

i am saudi ...and i would say If EA worth more 55 billion ok take it .>> the price is so high> EA suffering financey and with any drop in FC game will go bankrupt

I hope the deal good for both Posted on Sep 30th 2025, 3:20 Reply

I'd feel bad but....this is EA, and EA development houses. They've had a contract signed with the devil for a long time. None of this should be surprising. While no one can argue with this, there is potential for something good. Time will tell. While no one can argue with this, there is potential for something good. Time will tell. Posted on Sep 30th 2025, 4:28 Reply

EA LOL... They've been doing nothing but buying up studios and destroying their games in the last decade or two.

But who am I kidding, the same people who kept buying their rehashed crap games every year will still buy it just the same. Posted on Sep 30th 2025, 4:36 Reply