Weeks after shuttering one Battlefield studio, EA tasks Motive with 'unlocking' the franchise

EA Motive, the studio behind the Dead Space remake and Star Wars: Squadrons, is being tasked with "unlocking the full potential" of the Battlefield franchise.

The multi-team studio will be asking a new group of developers led by Dead Space remake leads Philippe Ducharme (executive producer) and Roman Campos-Oriola (creative director) to work on Battlefield alongside the teams at Criterion, DICE, and Ripple Effect.

The news comes less than two months after EA laid off 5 percent of its workforce so it could implement a new "ambitious growth strategy" focused on cultivating its own IP.

Those cuts resulted in the closure of Battlefield studio Ridgeline Games, which was previously described by EA as an "instrumental" part of the Battlefield family. Ridgeline broke cover in 2022 and had been working on a narrative campaign set in the Battlefield universe.

Motive devs hoping to realize EA's grand vision for Battlefield

It seems like EA now wants Motive to plug that gap, with studio GM Patrick Klaus noting the newly-formed team will be contributing to both multiplayer and single-player experiences.

"In my last update, I spoke about the studio going through an important period of evolution; we invested in developing our people in more ways than ever, and we improved our workspaces for teams to collaborate to their fullest and deliver the best game possible," added Klaus in a blog post.

"That period of evolution and elevation continues today, with the exciting announcement that a group of developers from Motive are joining the talented teams at Criterion, DICE and Ripple Effect to continue unlocking the full potential of Battlefield."

Klaus claimed that EA Motive's "proven expertise in storytelling, immersive battles and developing on the Frostbite engine" means the team is uniquely positioned to help advance the vision for Battlefield. He noted the franchise will continue to be led by Vince Zampella (EVP, Group GM of Respawn and Battlefield) and Byron Beede (SVP, GM Battlefield).

Although a chunk of the EA Motive team are pivoting towards Battlefied, the studio isn't abandoning its Iron Man project. Klaus said work on the Marvel title recently hit a "major internal milestone," providing the team with a "robust foundation" to build on.