EA has warned investors to expect a downturn ahead of its Q3 fiscal report after key franchises EA Sports FC and Dragon Age failed to meet expectations.
In a preliminary fiscal report, the publisher explained it had anticipated mid-single-digit growth in live service net bookings but is now projecting a “mid-single-digit decline.”
The company noted its ‘Global Football’ business (which includes FIFA replacement EA Sports FC) accounts for the majority of the change.
“Global Football had experienced two consecutive fiscal years of double-digit net bookings growth. However, the franchise experienced a slowdown as early momentum in the fiscal third quarter did not sustain through to the end,” reads an investor note.
EA revealed that Dragon Age: The Veilguard also fell short after engaging roughly 1.5 million players during the quarter, which is down almost 50 percent on internal expectations.
As a result, EA now expects net bookings of approximately $2.2 billion for the third fiscal quarter and between $7 billion to $7.2 billion for the 2025 fiscal year.
EA execs tout ‘long-term vision’ after key titles fall short
EA CEO Andrew Wilson said he remains confident in the company’s long-term strategy but acknowledged that Dragon Age and EA Sports FC “underperformed.”
“During Q3, we continued to deliver high-quality games and experiences across our portfolio; however, Dragon Age and EA Sports FC 25 underperformed our net bookings expectations,” added Wilson.
“This month, our teams delivered a comprehensive gameplay refresh in addition to our annual Team of the Year update in FC 25; positive player feedback and early results are encouraging. We remain confident in our long-term strategy and expect a return to growth in FY26, as we execute against our pipeline.”
EA CFO Stuart Canfield said the company continues to balance investment for future growth with operational discipline, and indicated the company intends to launch more of its “iconic franchises” as it heads into the next fiscal year.
Last year, EA demonstrated its approach to operational discipline by spending $125 million to make 5 percent of its workforce redundant.