In a recent financial call with investors, EA CEO Andrew Wilson firmly stated that the company has no intention of increasing the price of its games, despite competitors like Microsoft and Nintendo moving to $80 price points. Wilson emphasized EA's commitment to providing "incredible quality and exponential value" to its playerbase, highlighting the success of their co-op adventure game Split Fiction, which has now sold 4 million copies.
Wilson elaborated on EA's evolving 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," he said. He pointed out that EA's pricing strategy now spans a wide range, from free-to-play models to deluxe editions and beyond. "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 stated. He added that when EA successfully combines quality and value, their business remains robust, resilient, and continues to grow.
CFO Stuart Canfield reinforced this stance, mentioning that EA's current pricing strategy remains unchanged. "From a guidance perspective [...] we have reflected no changes in our current [pricing] strategy at this point," he said.
This news comes as a relief to gamers, especially following Microsoft's announcement last week of price increases for Xbox consoles, accessories, and some games. Microsoft's console and accessory price hikes are already in effect, and while game prices remain the same for now, new first-party titles are expected to cost $79.99 during the holiday season.
The trend of rising game prices is evident across the AAA gaming industry, with prices escalating from $60 to $70 over the past five years. Nintendo has also set a $80 price tag for upcoming Switch 2 exclusives like Mario Kart World and other Switch 2 Edition games. The Switch 2 itself will launch at $450, a decision that has drawn criticism from fans, although analysts argue it's inevitable given current economic conditions.
Given EA's comments, it's likely that the next EA Sports FC, Madden, and Battlefield games will maintain the $70 standard edition pricing.
Last week, EA announced layoffs affecting around 100 jobs at Apex Legends developer Respawn Entertainment, along with broader cuts impacting approximately 300 individuals across the organization.
