EA Cuts Fiscal Forecast After Dragon Age and Sports Title Fail to Meet Targets

Posted: 2025-05-27

Posted: 2025-05-27

Source: MMOWOW

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Significant Revenue Forecast Reduction

Electronic Arts has made a substantial downward revision to its fiscal 2025 revenue projections, lowering expectations from $7.4–7.7 billion to $7–7.15 billion. This adjustment comes as two of the company's major franchises - EA Sports FC 25 and Dragon Age: The Veilguard - failed to meet performance targets. The preliminary financial results reveal particularly troubling numbers for the long-awaited Dragon Age installment, which attracted only 1.5 million players last quarter - nearly 50% below the company's expectations.

Unusual Financial Volatility for Gaming Giant

The magnitude of this financial revision - potentially exceeding half a billion dollars - represents an unusually sharp decline for a single quarter. While business news isn't PC Gamer's typical focus, this situation warrants attention due to both the scale of the adjustment and its underlying causes. EA reported that after enjoying two consecutive years of double-digit net bookings growth, its Global Football franchise has suddenly "experienced a slowdown" in the current fiscal period.

Leadership Responds to Underperformance

"During Q3, we continued to deliver high-quality games and experiences across our portfolio," stated Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson in the earnings release. "However, Dragon Age and EA Sports FC 25 underperformed our net bookings expectations." Wilson pointed to recent improvements, noting that a comprehensive gameplay refresh and the annual Team of the Year update in FC 25 have generated positive player feedback and encouraging early results. The CEO expressed confidence in EA's long-term strategy, projecting a return to growth in fiscal year 2026 as the company executes its development pipeline.

Sports Franchise Shows Unexpected Weakness

The underperformance of EA Sports FC 25 comes as a particular surprise to industry observers. The FIFA series (now rebranded as EA Sports FC) has historically been one of the company's most reliable revenue generators. While the transition away from the FIFA license appeared smooth from a business perspective, some fan dissatisfaction may finally be impacting the bottom line. The company now anticipates a "mid-single-digit decline" in live service net bookings - the revenue stream primarily driven by DLC sales and microtransactions, with Ultimate Team mode traditionally being the major contributor.

Dragon Age's Disappointing Return

For RPG fans and industry watchers, the weak performance of Dragon Age: The Veilguard represents a particularly bitter disappointment. The game's player engagement numbers falling nearly 50% short of projections suggests either significant misjudgment in market expectations or fundamental issues with the game's appeal. This underperformance raises questions about the future of BioWare's once-dominant fantasy RPG franchise, which had been absent from the market for nearly a decade since Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Market Implications and Future Outlook

The financial community reacted swiftly to EA's revised projections, with the company's stock price taking an immediate hit following the announcement. While leadership remains optimistic about long-term prospects, the simultaneous underperformance of both a flagship sports title and a major RPG release suggests broader challenges in EA's portfolio management. The coming months will be critical for the publisher as it works to stabilize its sports franchise while determining how to proceed with the Dragon Age series. Full third-quarter financial results, scheduled for release on February 4, should provide greater clarity on the company's path forward.

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