In a recent financial call with investors, EA CEO Andrew Wilson firmly stated that the company has no plans to increase the price of its games, despite the recent moves by competitors like Microsoft and Nintendo to hike prices to $80. Wilson emphasized EA's commitment to providing "incredible quality and exponential value for our playerbase," highlighting the success of their co-op adventure game Split Fiction, which has now sold 4 million copies.
Wilson elaborated on the evolution of EA's business model, noting significant shifts over the past decade. "In a world where everything we did 10 years ago was about selling shiny discs in plastic boxes on retail shelves — well, that’s still a *part* of our business, but it’s a significantly smaller part of our business," he said. Today, EA's pricing strategy spans from free-to-play games to deluxe editions, reflecting a diverse market approach.
"At the end of the day, whether we're doing something that costs a dollar, or we're doing something that costs $10, or we're doing something that costs $100, our objective is always to deliver incredible quality and exponential value for our playerbase," Wilson reiterated. He stressed that combining quality and value has proven to strengthen, sustain, and grow EA's business.
Echoing Wilson's sentiments, EA's CFO Stuart Canfield added, "From a guidance perspective [...] we have reflected no changes in our current [pricing] strategy at this point."
This announcement comes as a relief to gamers, especially in light of Microsoft's recent confirmation of raising Xbox prices, along with increases in the cost of controllers, headsets, and some games. Microsoft's price adjustments for consoles and accessories are already in effect, with game prices expected to rise to $79.99 for new, first-party titles around the holiday season.
The gaming industry has seen a general trend of price increases, with AAA gaming prices jumping from $60 to $70 over the last five years. Nintendo's decision to set $80 as the price point for upcoming Switch 2 exclusive Mario Kart World and other Switch 2 Edition games follows suit. The Switch 2's launch price of $450 has already sparked debate among fans, though analysts argue it is inevitable amid current economic conditions.
Given EA's stance, fans can anticipate that the next EA Sports FC, Madden, and Battlefield games will maintain the $70 standard edition pricing.
Last week, IGN reported that EA cut around 100 jobs at Apex Legend developer Respawn Entertainment, as part of broader layoffs affecting approximately 300 individuals across the organization.
