• News

EA's Patrick Soderlund leaves the company after 12-year tenure

An influential member of the studio has departed.

Brittany Vincent

August 14, 2018 2:00 PM

2

Chief design officer Patrick Soderland has exited Electronic Arts, after 12 years of working at the company. Soderland was instrumental when it came to initiatives like implementing the Frostbite engine as well as player-focused strategies that, according to EA CEO Andrew Wilson, made him an "agent of change and transformation."

Soderlund first founded Refraction Games in 1997, which spawned the Refractor Engine, before heading on to DICE to launch the first Battlefield game, Battlefield 1942. He serve as DICE CEO in 2000 until it was acquired by EA, after which he rose to VP and general manager of the company over the next 12 years. Eventually, he was named the chief design officer at EA earlier this year.

While this will obviously mean some internal restructuring will be in order, the company hasn't immediately come forward with plans to replace Soderlund going forward. When speaking with Variety, a spokesperson from EA stated that there aren't currently any plans to name a new chief design officer. After news of Soderlund's departure broke, EA's stock saw a sudden drop of 1.26%, likely owing to public perception of the brand and the potential loss of a recognizable and trustworthy figure. 

“We’re now accelerating into a year where we are delivering some of the most impressive games our studios have ever created, with even more amazing projects in the pipeline. We’re pushing forward to offer access to more great games and content through our industry-leading subscription services. Our competitive gaming program is coming off one record-setting season and heading straight into the next with even higher aspirations. As a company, our culture of creativity and pioneering for our players is powering every step we take," said CEO Andrew Wilson.

It isn't clear what's next for EA in terms of filling this position, but we expect additional details to come down the pipeline regarding what's next for the company soon. 

Brittany Vincent

Senior Editor

Fueled by horror, rainbow-sugar-pixel-rushes, and video games, Brittany is a Senior Editor at Shacknews who thrives on surrealism and ultraviolence. Follow her on Twitter @MolotovCupcake and check out her portfolio for more. Like a fabulous shooter once said, get psyched!