EA studios named in mass-layoff operation

A total of seven EA-owned studios are alleged to be hit by the publisher’s mass-layoff operations.

Pandemic, EALA, Maxis, Rupture Studios, Mythic, Tiburon and Black Box are all thought to be downsized as EA looks to shed 900 developers from its global workforce.

EA has declined to comment on where the layoffs have occurred.

The publisher announced Monday it would axe 1500 jobs over the next five months, as the group posted a net loss for the eleventh successive quarter.

However the publisher only went as far as saying “several facilities” would be affected.

Sources speaking on the condition of anonymity told news site Kotaku of where the layoffs are taking place.

“According to multiple sources, cutbacks include studios like Pandemic, Maxis and nearly the entire Command & Conquer team,” read the website.

“Sources tell Kotaku that the team working on Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight was warned of its fate today, with almost the entire team expected to be let go after the real-time strategy game ships some time in 2010,” it added.

“Also said to be affected heavily is Spore and former-Sims studio EA Maxis, social network gaming acquisition Rupture Studios, and Mercenaries and The Saboteur creators Pandemic Studios LA,” it added.

Rumours of further layoffs had surfaced via social networking sites such as Twitter and LinkedIn.

Eron Garcia – whose LinkedIn profile puts him as a “senior compliance specialist for Nintendo at Electronic Arts” – wrote on his public Twitter account:

“Who just got laid off: a. Me, b. Most of my department, c. HUGE chunks of EA, d. All of the Above.”

The post has since been removed.

Meanwhile, Katherine Pitta – a purported volunteer for EA studio Mythic who claims to know some of the staff at Mythic – states on her Twitter feed:

“Mythic Entertainment, responsible for Warhammer Online, just laid off 80 people, about 40% of its employees.”

Such claims have not been confirmed by EA.