EA Requires Employees to Work in Office Three Days a Week

Electronic Arts (EA) has announced that it will require employees to work in the office at least three days each week, moving away from fully remote work options.

In an email to staff, EA CEO Andrew Wilson explained that employees living within 30 miles (48 kilometers) of an EA office will need to follow this new hybrid work model. Wilson believes that working together in person creates "a kinetic energy that fuels creativity, innovation, and connection," which can lead to better games for players.

EA's President, Laura Miele, provided more details about the changes, noting that employees will get at least 12 weeks' notice before having to change their work arrangements. The timing will be different depending on where employees are located.

According to IGN, workers who live more than 30 miles from an office can still work remotely for now, unless their specific job requires them to be on-site. However, EA plans to gradually phase out what they call the "Offsite Local work model" over the next two to three years.

Some employees are concerned that this means all remote work options might eventually disappear. The company appears to be making remote work much harder to get approved, as any exceptions to the new policy will require direct approval from either CEO Wilson or President Miele.

This trend of bringing workers back to offices is happening across the gaming industry. Companies like Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft Montreal, and Rockstar Games have already scaled back remote work in recent years.

The shift hasn't always gone smoothly elsewhere. Rockstar faced criticism earlier this year when it gave Grand Theft Auto 6 developers just one month's notice to return to full-time office work. Call of Duty developers protested similar policies at Activision, and Ubisoft workers in Paris went on strike over return-to-office plans.

This news comes shortly after EA cut around 300 jobs across different teams, suggesting the company is making significant changes to how it operates. EA hasn't yet provided specific details about how these changes will affect its UK studios.