EA is hiring a VP and ‘head of mobile shooters’ that’ll report into Respawn and Battlefield GM Vince Zampella.
The job ad states that the successful candidate will oversee “expanding existing franchises into new markets and introducing innovative new titles that complement and enhance the product strategies for our shooter category”. Depending on location and experience, the new exec will take home $300-$360k annually, with bonuses and equity on top.
EA’s shooter category is, of course, led by Battlefield and Apex Legends, whose success on PC and console has yet to translate to mobile. EA announced it would be shutting shut down Apex Legends Mobile in January 2023, having launched the game worldwide in May 2022. On the same day, it also confirmed that development had ended on Battlefield Mobile, which was in soft launch at the time. The studio making it, Industrial Toys, was also closed as a result.
But the new job ad suggests the publishing giant may be trying to launch its flagship shooters on mobile once more. The new mobile shooter boss will be asked to figure out how EA’s shooter IP’s “can leverage the mobile platform to expand franchise reach into global markets starting with Japan, China and SE Asia,” according to the job ad.
The new hire will also “be accountable for driving the long-term success of our mobile shooters, balancing creative ambition with sharp business execution”.
Since the cancellation of Apex Legends Mobile and Battlefield Mobile, EA has pulled several other mobile games from the app stores, including Kim Kardashian: Hollywood, The Simpsons: Tapped Out, The Sims Mobile, LOTR: Battle for Middle-Earth and more. It also merged its mobile teams into its ‘HD’ counterparts in March 2024.
But with that $55bn Saudi buyout looming, the publishing giant may now be changing its stance on mobile as it transitions into being a privately-held company. As one EA insider told us recently, without the caution and conservatism that comes with constantly having to hit 90 day revenue and profitability targets, EA could finally invest more in riskier long term projects and fulfil its latent potential in mobile.
EA execs and staff with equity are set for quite a payday once that Saudi buyout is complete – as we reported recently, EA boss Andrew Wilson could cash out over $100m in shares, and several other execs stand to earn tens of millions of dollars. Under the terms of the deal, every EA stockholder will receive $210 per share owned or unvested once the $55bn deal is complete and EA is removed from the public markets.
