‘Many’ staff gone from Skate studio Full Circle as part of EA layoffs
The studio previously suffered layoffs in February
Many developers from Skate studio Full Circle have been laid off as part of widespread EA cuts, which saw the closure of BioWare.
While the live service skating game was briefly mentioned in EA’s email detailing today’s cuts, several developers have taken to social media to confirm that they’ve been laid off from the company.
The is the latest wave of layoffs to hit the company. Full Circle previosuly announced a wave of layoffs back in February, to “better support the game’s long-term future.”
In Wednesday’s statement from EA, it said: “For Skate, we’ve had a lot of success in bringing players into the game, and we need to create an experience that keeps them engaged over the long-term.
“To do that, we are making changes to the studio to have a more focused, smaller team to deliver on a very clear roadmap for our community that we believe will build a healthier and more sustainable business.”
Several senior members of staff have been hit by Wednesday’s cuts, including the game’s seasonal creative director, John Epler. Epler, an EA veteran of almost 20 years, wrote on LinkedIn: “Well, as of today, my role at Full Circle has been eliminated.
“Coming up on my 19 year anniversary in the industry – and all of that time spent at EA – I can’t say I’m sad. A little nervous, definitely, but I’m looking forward to doing something new.”
Adam Martinazzi, a senior game designer at the studio, has also confirmed his departure, writing, “I, like many of the other talented people at Full Circle, was let go today.
“Part of me is sad and frustrated. The other part accepts that this is a ‘just part of the industry’. And the other other part is grateful for the time I got to spend working on a cool game with lots of awesome people.”
David Milne, another senior designer at the studio, wrote: “Looks like my position at Full Circle has been eliminated. Sad to have to leave. I really enjoyed working on Skate and loved the team I worked with. But it’s on to the next thing now.”
Full Circle, a studio made up of veterans of the original Black Box team behind Skate 1-3, was formed to develop a live-service focussed reboot of the popular skating franchise. While the game has maintained a steady player base, it has seemingly failed to capture a wider audience.
This, paired with player frustrations over the monetisation of the game, and the lack of a traditional single-player Skate experience, means the game hasn’t been the return of the franchise that many had hoped for.
Electronic Arts also announced in today’s statement that it’s closing historic Dragon Age studio BioWare and canceling the next Mass Effect game.
In the announcement, BioWare said its focus was now “on our incredibly talented team who put their hearts into these games, and supporting one another through this transition.”
