Marcus Lehto, co-creator of the Halo universe and former lead of the now-closed Ridgeline Games, has expressed his discontent with EA, stating he has nothing positive to say about the company.
Lehto left EA at the end of February, stating that he had departed “on my own accord” and would take a break from video games to figure out his next steps. He expressed disappointment in seeing his team laid off, describing them as “very talented devs who were incredibly valuable to the Battlefield franchise.”
In a recent statement on Twitter, Lehto mentioned that he hasn’t been active on social media because he doesn’t have anything positive to say about EA, his departure, and the widespread layoffs in the industry that have affected his team.
Ridgeline Games, under Lehto’s leadership, had been working on a narrative-driven Battlefield campaign. Criterion Games, known for the Need for Speed series, will now complete the project.
The layoffs at EA, which affected around 670 employees, came as part of a broader restructuring. Last year, the company had already laid off six percent of its workforce. EA’s CEO, Andrew Wilson, stated that the company is shifting focus from “future licensed IP” to “owned IP, sports, and massive online communities.”
While projects like Black Panther and Iron Man are still in development, a Star Wars shooter being developed by Respawn Entertainment, reportedly based on The Mandalorian, has been canceled.
