Marcus Lehto, former creative director of Ridgeline Games, the now-closed EA studio tasked with creating the campaign Battlefield 6expressed disappointment that EA placed former employees in the “Special Thanks” section of the game's credits, and some members were allegedly left out entirely.
“I am disappointed that many of my former teammates from Ridgeline Games were not properly mentioned in the recent release of the game. Battlefield 6“Grove wrote on LinkedIn yesterday. He adds that “these talented developers worked tirelessly for 1 to 2.5 years to create the core of the game.”
Former employees listed in Battlefield 6 the credits in the “Special Thanks” section are at the very bottom of the credits (as confirmed by the footage uploaded GamersPrey on YouTube). The list only includes names, but Lehto created an image reflecting each former employee's role, which he shared in the same LinkedIn post.
There are five names in the image with “(omitted)” next to them, including Lehto himself. A couple of hours after publication, a current EA developer clarified that three of the five people mentioned are actually listed in the credits. So this means that at least two names were presumably omitted from the credits.
“Out of respect for my colleagues and the amazing work they put into this project, I want to take a moment to get to know them properly by listing their names and roles as I would prefer them to appear in the credits,” Lehto's post concludes. “Game development is a team effort, and everyone involved deserves fair recognition.”
The unceremonious closure of Ridgeline Games
For reference, Ridgeline started back in 2021 when EA hired Lehto open a studio in Seattle. Publisher next year opened a studio and announced that they have been tasked with creating a campaign for an upcoming game in the Battlefield franchise in collaboration with Ripple Effect (formerly DICE LA). Then, in February 2024, Lehto abruptly left the company, which he later confirmed was voluntary relocation.
A few days later EA shut down Ridgelineafter the publisher announced that it would be lay off 5 percent of its workforce and abandoning licensed IPs that can no longer ensure success in a “changing industry.” At the time, EA stated that work on the project would continue under Criterion's leadership, while some Ridgeline members would join Ripple Effect.
EA will continue to lay off employees in 2025, affects hundreds of employees as well as several Respawn Entertainment projects that have now been cancelled. Back in May the publisher praised his work through fiscal 2025 (FY25) and said it is now poised for “accelerated growth.”
Last week, Electronic Arts workers, along with the video game union United Videogame Workers-CWA Local 9433, issued a public statement criticizing the Saudi Arabia-led buyout of the company and calling for scrutiny by regulators. In it, the parties argued that the deal endangers the company's employees, who have been suffering losses for two years. layoffs And studio closure. EA told employees that “no immediate layoffswill take place after the buyout is completed, but given the company's decisions over the past couple of years, people are still skeptical, to say the least.
The game developer has contacted EA for clarification on this matter.
