EA CEO Pockets $38M Battlefield 6 Payday While Laid-Off Devs Watch from the Sidelines

Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson received $38.6 million in total compensation for fiscal year 2025, an $8 million raise over the prior year, largely driven by the record-breaking commercial success of Battlefield 6. The massive payday puts Wilson's earnings at 305 times the salary of an average EA employee, according to figures reported by GamesRadar. The irony is hard to ignore: the bonus arrived roughly four months after EA laid off approximately 400 developers, many of whom had worked directly on the game credited with fueling the reward.

The situation has drawn sharp criticism across the games industry, with outlets noting that the employees responsible for building Battlefield 6 were not around to share in its success. Adding further context, TheGamer reports that part of Wilson's bonus was tied to EA's adoption of generative AI, a technology widely associated with the kind of cost-cutting that contributes to workforce reductions. Looking ahead, Wilson's windfall could grow even larger: GameSpot notes that a pending leveraged buyout of EA by Saudi Arabia could net the CEO an additional $125 million in severance, and that once the deal closes, the newly private company would no longer be required to release financial documents to the public.

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