EA's Latest Financials and Strategic Insights
Electronic Arts has announced its first-quarter financial results, ending June 30, revealing a "strong start" to the fiscal year with net bookings surpassing forecasts. During the earnings call, CEO Andrew Wilson provided updates on the highly anticipated Battlefield 6 and the company's approach to game pricing.
Battlefield 6: A Major Investment
Wilson confirmed that EA has made an unprecedented investment in Battlefield 6, more than any previous title in the series. This significant commitment stems from EA's vision for Battlefield 6 not merely as a standalone game, but as the foundation for an evolving "platform."
Players will get their first extensive look at the game's multiplayer on July 31st at 9:30 PM Moscow time (6:30 PM UTC), with a full demonstration streaming on YouTube and Twitch. This event marks the official launch of Battlefield 6's marketing campaign, involving "hundreds of content creators and influencers" who will preview the project in Los Angeles before streaming it to their audiences.
Battlefield 6 is set to launch on PC (Steam, Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series. Based on its store pages, Russian language support appears to be absent. While an official release date hasn't been confirmed, a reliable insider has pointed to October 10th.
Pricing Strategy: No Immediate Changes
Addressing questions about the industry trend of raising game prices to $80, Andrew Wilson stated that EA has no current plans to change its pricing policy. He emphasized that EA offers a "quite broad range of prices across various products," from free-to-play titles to premium and collector's editions. Wilson explained that EA's strategy has always been to cover the entire pricing spectrum to best serve players and provide maximum value.
"We will continue to seek opportunities to provide players with excellent value through various pricing models, but no radical changes are planned for now," Wilson said.
Furthermore, the Q1 call revealed that EA has not factored any price increases into its financial forecast for the current fiscal year, which concludes on March 31, 2026. This suggests that titles released before April 2026, including Battlefield 6, will not carry an $80 price tag, despite an earlier report from insider billbil-kun suggesting an €80 price for the standard console edition of the shooter.
Solid Financial Performance
EA expressed satisfaction with its first-quarter results. Beyond exceeding forecasts, sports simulations like F1 25 and FC Mobile showed strong performance, with FC Mobile achieving a record quarter, underscoring "the global strength of the EA Sports FC platform." Apex Legends also contributed positively.
"Our fiscal year started very strongly – results exceeded expectations, especially considering we have the most impressive lineup of releases in the company's history ahead of us," Andrew Wilson commented. "Working on player engagement in EA Sports and preparing for the release of Battlefield 6 and skate., we are not only growing globally but also setting new standards for interactive entertainment."
Key financial highlights include:
- Net revenue for the quarter was $1.671 billion, slightly up from $1.660 billion year-over-year.
- Net profit dipped by 28.2% to $201 million.
Despite the strong start, EA maintained its financial forecast for fiscal year 2026. CFO Stuart Canfield affirmed, "With a strong foundation and a robust portfolio of upcoming projects, we remain confident in our annual forecast and long-term margin structure." Upcoming releases for the current fiscal year include EA Sports FC 26, Madden NFL 26, Battlefield 6, and skate., among others.
For players, this news signifies that Battlefield 6 is a massive priority for EA, backed by substantial investment, which hopefully translates into a high-quality experience. Additionally, the confirmation of no immediate price hikes means gamers can likely expect new EA titles, including Battlefield 6, to launch at standard current-generation prices, offering some relief amidst rising industry costs.
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