EA Achieves Record $8 Billion in Sales Following Battlefield 6 Developer Layoffs

Electronic Arts has just concluded its final year as a publicly traded entity, achieving a new sales record. Control 2 is progressing well and remains within budget. Meanwhile, Microsoft has unveiled a fresh boot logo as part of its “return to Xbox” strategy. In this edition of the gaming roundup for May 6, 2026, we also meet a new member of the Xbox team who has a clever Guitar Hero analogy for AI.

GameStop’s CEO Ryan Cohen recently appeared on an OpenAI-owned network to address concerns regarding his eBay takeover bid, following a rather confusing appearance on CNBC. The company’s stock has yet to bounce back from its post-cable-news decline, leaving GameStop employees unimpressed.

The best-selling game of 2025 has propelled the soon-to-be-Saudi-Arabia-owned publisher to an impressive annual sales record of $8.026 billion. Despite a year-over-year drop in live-service revenue, investors can still expect a nice dividend ahead of their private equity buyout this summer.

“Thanks to our talented teams and disciplined execution, we achieved a record FY26, highlighted by the successful launch of our iconic Battlefield franchise,” said the CEO in a press release. “With the recent completion of a debt process that attracted strong investor interest and our ongoing positive engagement with regulators, we look forward to closing the transaction and the opportunities it will bring.”

This earnings report comes just two months after an undisclosed number of Battlefield 6 developers were let go, despite the game’s blockbuster success. “We’ve made selective changes within our Battlefield organization to better align our teams with what matters most to our community,” the company stated at the time. “Battlefield remains a top priority, and we’re committed to investing in the franchise, guided by player feedback and insights from Battlefield Labs.”

Part 1 received Intergrade, part 2 got nothing. What about part 3? That hinges on “how strongly fans continue to support Final Fantasy 7 as both a title and a franchise,” Naoki Hamaguchi mentioned in a recent interview. He remains “open to exploring those possibilities proactively.”

“The team and the studio have done an excellent job staying on track and building a triple-A game on a relatively small budget. That’s something we’ve seen from Remedy before and will see again,” new CEO Jean-Charles Gaudechon stated during a recent earnings call.

He added, “Honestly, there’s something remarkable about how games are being developed at Remedy and the thought processes behind them. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing, I know that. There have been some bumps along the way. But the team has done incredible work on Control Resonant.”

A new boot-up is coming next Wednesday. Sound on!

Joke’s on them: I never turn my Series S off.

According to a recent survey of gaming audiences, 62 percent of players no longer purchase full-price games. “[Gen X] comes from a background of midnight openings and full-price games, wanting to maximize their investment,” said the company’s SVP of marketing.

He continued, “In contrast, Gen Z lives in a world of platforms where games don’t end, and social and community aspects are integral to their experience. They want to be part of a community where they can say, ‘I’m the most informed. I know the most about this game.’”

The company’s stock price has dropped for five consecutive months as it maintains a $450 console price, even as Sony and Microsoft have increased prices on their respective systems. Reports indicate that investors are looking for a similar move from Nintendo to “protect” profit margins on the Switch 2. However, Nintendo must also ensure strong sales of the new console, and there are still plenty of reasons for players to stick with the last-gen version.

Tymon Smektala, who joined Techland in 2013 as a game designer and recently led the entire zombie franchise, announced on LinkedIn, “After years with Dying Light, I’m moving into a new chapter. It’s been an incredible journey, and I’m proud of what we’ve built.”