Developer Full Circle, a studio created by Electronic Arts to lead the development of the new free-to-play live-service game 'skate.', announced on Wednesday that some roles at the studio will be impacted, indicating layoffs. The cuts come as the studio says it is transforming to better support the game's long-term future and focus on player priorities.
In a statement, Full Circle wrote: 'Since launching Early Access in September, tens of millions of you have stepped into San Vansterdam. As skate. continues to evolve, we’re transforming as a studio. These shifts mean making changes to our team structure, and some roles will be impacted. The teammates affected are talented colleagues and friends who helped build the foundation of skate.'
The studio confirmed that development of skate. will continue, with the team vowing to move faster, listen more closely, and deliver consistently. The layoffs are part of a broader trend in the video game industry, which has seen ongoing job cuts for nearly four years.
Notably, skate. has received mixed reviews, praised for its open-world multiplayer but criticized for aggressive microtransactions and slow updates. The developers hope the restructuring will accelerate content delivery and feedback implementation. The affected staff are receiving support from EA and Full Circle, with hopes they can find new roles within the company.