Last year, EA brought back one of its most beloved franchises from the seventh generation of consoles with the return of Skate. It was absolutely not the Skate 4 that fans of the series had hoped they might get one day. It was EA's attempt at turning the franchise into a live service game that could churn out cash for the publisher, and despite it being the most-downloaded free-to-play PC and console game in 2025 according to a new Sensor Tower report, less than six months from its launch, developer Full Circle has been impacted by layoffs.
A statement from the studio on its official website announced the cuts, though in the standard style of these kinds of announcements, it does not specify how many developers were impacted or provide any real clarity behind the decision to make these cuts.
"Since launching Early Access in September, tens of millions of you have stepped into San Vansterdam," the statement begins. "Your passion, creativity, and feedback have reinforced our belief in what skate. can become. As skate. continues to evolve, we’re transforming as a studio. We’re reshaping Full Circle to better support skate.’s long-term future and focus the team on the things that matter most to you - and making those things great."
"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. Their creativity and dedication are deeply ingrained in what players experience today. This decision is not a reflection of their impact and we’re committed to supporting them through this transition."
EA was the biggest publisher by game downloads in the PC and console space last year. It had all three of the top-selling AAA PC and console games in its portfolio, with Battlefield 6 ahead of everything else in a year when shooters and action games were the most popular genres.
While it's always a bit mind-boggling to see major publishers lay off developers while they're having a strong commercial year, one likely factor in this instance of it is the not-yet-official buyout of EA by the Saudi Arabia PIF and Silver Lake. The $20B of debt EA will take on as part of the deal, should it go through, has been identified by several analysts as a "ticking time bomb" for layoffs, and this could just be the first of many to come from EA this year in preparation and anticipation of the deal going through.
Which is not yet a guarantee, as it still has to get approval from several global regulatory bodies, including the US's FTC. Members of Congress in the States have already petitioned the FTC to take extra care when scrutinizing this deal, and it'll be interesting to see whether the FTC tries to fight it like it did Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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