Electronic Arts announced to employees that he would permanently end its remote working rules and implement a full return to the office.
In an e-mail sent to employees viewed by IGN, the general director Andrew Wilson said that personal work causes “kinetic energy, which drives creativity, innovation and combination, often causing unexpected breakthroughs that lead to amazing experiences for our players.” Then he sketched widely that “hybrid work” would now be defined as “a minimum of three days a week in a local office”, and “local roles outside the headquarters” will be gradually withdrawn.
In the next email of the president of EA Entertainment, Laura Miele, also viewed by IGN, explained further details, describing the company as a transition from “a decentralized approach to a globally coherent work model throughout the enterprise”:
- These changes will not appear immediately. Employees should continue working as recommended by your business unit until further notice, regardless of where you live.
- The transitions of the work model will have a minimum 12-week notice period before implementing any changes. Time will vary depending on the location and will be communicated locally with a lot of notifications.
- Hybrid work means work from a local office at least three days a week – this is in line with what was presented in the EA Andrew action.
- We are introducing a up-to-date radius with a length of 30 miles/48 km around the location of EA.
- What does it mean:
- Employees living 30 mm/48 km from the EA location will go to the hybrid work model.
- Employees living outside the 30-miles rays/48 km will be considered distant, unless their role is designated or hybrid.
- Let’s also west to the local work model outside the headquarters. Depending on the location, this transition may take 3 to 24 months.
- Each exception to the Work model and future remote employees will require approval CEO Direct.
Several sources in EA talking to Ign anonymously stated that employees were nervous and confused, with some employees sharing access hours, which they should now take place, or expressed concerns about childcare or personal medical conditions that benefited from remote work. Others, classified as distant and out of reach of 30 miles, expressed concern about what happened from their roles, if they did not want or could not get closer to the office in long -term. Two sources explained to Ign that according to a failure sent by Miele, the existing employees would have their “dismissals” to return to the “Sunset” office in the next 3 to 24 months.
Although remote work has long found in the video games industry, it became extremely popular during and after the Covid-19 2020 pandemic, when the fines remaining at home forced most AAA companies to adapt remote work as a long-term solution. Since then, more and more companies have employed more and more distant employees, and current employees close to the office reported a move to cheaper cities away from offices, impressed that remote work was enduring.
However, other main video games companies have recently called on employees back to the office, which results in frustration and sometimes trading in employees, because employees were forced to choose between the road or arduous relocation and their work. Companies such as Rockstar Games, Ubisoft and Activision Blizzard faced criticism from the inside and outside as a result of these principles. It seemed, however, that Apace was moved back to office fines, and more companies such as EA decide to again require a model in the office.
EA recently released about 300 people throughout the company, after previous release in BioWare this year and the end of about 670 roles last year.
Ign contacted EA to comment.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior Ign reporter. You can find her post on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.skyla. Do you have a hint with history? Send it to ralentine@ign.com.
