EA staff describe secrecy and low morale after 400 layoffs

After cutting 400 jobs and shutting down BioWare, EA employees told Vertical Slice about a culture of secrecy: layoffs are announced on Zoom with chat disabled and no chance to ask questions, while teams wait weeks for clarity. Morale is low amid $20bn of debt from the $55bn acquisition and management's push into generative AI.

• EA laid off 400 staff and closed BioWare, cutting about 50 people
• Layoffs are delivered on Zoom with chat disabled and participants hidden
• The company carries $20bn in debt after the $55bn acquisition
• Management is betting on Claude and generative AI as morale sinks