EA Lays Off Staff Across Battlefield Studios After Record-Breaking Launch of Battlefield 6 Electronic Arts has announced layoffs across its Battlefield studios, including Criterion, Dice, Ripple Effect, and Motive Studios, as part of a broader realignment of the franchise’s operations. The restructuring comes amid ongoing live service support for Battlefield 6, which launched to massive success in 2025. While the game initially set records for sales, recent months have seen declining player satisfaction and technical challenges. Battlefield 6 became the best-selling game in the U.S. in 2025, selling 7 million copies in its first three days—a record for the franchise. Despite its strong launch, the game faced mixed critical reception, with reviewers praising its multiplayer mode but criticizing its campaign. However, post-launch updates have struggled to meet player expectations, leading to a decline in Steam reviews from “Mostly Positive” to “Mixed.” Fans have raised concerns about heavy monetization, the use of generative AI for cosmetic items, and a lack of promised content updates. These issues prompted EA to delay the start of Season 2 to incorporate community feedback, with a three-month roadmap recently shared for upcoming patches. The layoffs, which affect multiple teams across the studios, are described by EA as a strategic move to realign resources around player priorities. An EA spokesperson emphasized that the company remains committed to the Battlefield franchise, citing investments guided by player feedback and insights from Battlefield Labs. However, the decision has sparked speculation about the long-term direction of the series, especially as EA navigates a major corporate shift. The restructuring follows the unexpected death of Battlefield franchise head Vince Zampella in a car accident earlier this year.#ripple_effect #battlefield_6 #ea #criterion #dice
Marathon Servers to Go Offline on March 11 for Update 1.0.0.4 Bungie has announced that the multiplayer shooter Marathon will undergo planned maintenance on March 11, 2026, to prepare for the release of update 1.0.0.4 across all platforms. During this period, players will experience temporary downtime, but the game will remain accessible for those completing ongoing runs. The maintenance schedule includes several key details. Sign-on functionality will be unavailable, and players will gradually be removed from active activities as the servers transition to offline mode. The maintenance is expected to conclude by 4:00 AM PDT (UTC-7), though players may still encounter sign-on issues due to background processes. Those experiencing problems are encouraged to report them to the Marathon Help Forum. Console players facing update issues should restart their devices and attempt the download again. The update, set to launch globally, includes several adjustments. Starting ammo in MIDA, CyberAcme, and Arachne free Sponsored Kits has been increased. Additionally, the number of Med Cabinets and Munitions Crates that can spawn on Perimeter has been expanded. Objective navigation points will now appear at a greater distance, ranging from 10 meters to 20 meters. These changes represent a preliminary list, with the full patch notes yet to be released. Alongside the update, LUX economy adjustments are also in the works, as previously reported. Bungie has not provided further details on these changes. Players are advised to monitor official channels for updates on the maintenance timeline or any revisions to the downtime schedule. The article also mentions a separate report about EA’s layoffs following the success of Battlefield 6, which became the top-selling premium title of 2025.#marathon #bungie #update_1_0_0_4 #lux_economy #battlefield_6
