EA ‘doubling down’ on live services in its core franchises

Electronic Arts says it’s “doubling down” on live services in its core franchises after digital games drove growth during its second fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2019.

Net revenue for the quarter was up 4.8% to $1.35 billion, with digital accounting for 68% of the total ($922 million).

Over 50% of the publisher’s full games are now sold digitally, according to EA COO and CFO Blake Jorgensen.

“The strong results this quarter illustrate the power of our live services and our core franchises,” he said. “Strength in Ultimate Team, The Sims 4 and FIFA Online drove live services performance above our expectations.

“Looking ahead, we are doubling down on live services combined with our core franchises. We’re investing in games that people play for longer and engage with much more deeply. This focus will continue to drive growth and profitability for the company through the remainder of this year and beyond.”

In EA’s earnings call on Tuesday, the company revealed the Battlefield 6 release date will fall between April 2021 and March 2022.

Jorgensen also said the company could return to the Titanfall franchise down the line, but he couldn’t confirm “if and when” that might be.

And EA doesn’t expect to release the next Dragon Age game before its fiscal year 2023, which begins on April 1, 2022.

EA also announced on Tuesday that it will release its games on Steam, starting with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order on November 15.

Other EA titles such as Apex Legends, The Sims 4, FIFA 20, Battlefield V and Unravel 2 will follow “in the coming months,” while the EA Access subscription service will launch on Steam in spring 2020.