EA announces new Mercenaries game

By Robert Purchese Published 25 November, 2009

Boasts of commitment to Pandemic IP.

EA has announced development of a brand new Mercenaries game, just a few hours after leaked details of Pandemic's "Mercenaries Inc." project suggested the series might be dead and buried.

EA Los Angeles will take the reins on the new project, for which no other details have been provided. EA has described "Mercs Inc." as a "working title" according to Kotaku.

"We are very excited to announce a new instalment in the popular Mercenaries series because it demonstrates our continued commitment to Pandemic's rich catalogue of intellectual properties," said EA bigwig Nick Earl. Oof.

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About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (21) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • erp #1 2 years ago

    What about commitment to Pandemic employees?

    Oh wait.

  • Crea #2 2 years ago

    Christ, what a kick in the nuts.

    "Yeah, we like your IP, just...you...not so much."

  • beastmaster #3 2 years ago

    It's like one of those scenarios whereby you find out you've lost your job and the next day the e-mail goes out saying what a wonderful place it is to work, huge profits and invitation to the Xmas do.

  • space_ace #4 2 years ago

    quote of the year!

  • optimusprym8 #5 2 years ago

    @beastmaster that sounds like a very familiar experience I had with an MMO publisher

  • Apostle #6 2 years ago

    Nice! Cheers EA.

    Seems like the video was leaked to gauge interest. It seemed like a pretty average looking game, but maybe they got enough positive feedback to continue with it?

  • awb83 #7 2 years ago

    I hope it is better than Mercs 2.

  • tachometer #8 2 years ago

    Mercs 1 was great, Mercs 2 had some good bits but all the typical EA nonsense got in the way. Now without Pandemic I don't have much hope for the third game, roll on Just Cause 2

  • Ziggy_badMonkey #9 2 years ago

    Nice...We've made the founders and 95% of the staff at Pandemic redundant but don't worry lads we'll carry on on your behalf.
    Good luck finding new jobs!! We'll rape your IP at the EA LA Shit factory !!
    When will EA learn to put automated time locked muzzle's on execs, so they leave it at least a month before making EA look any worse a place to work.

  • Crea #10 2 years ago

    Let's list all the great studios EA has placed in the shitter. I'll start.

    1. Bullfrog.

  • cyacomini #11 2 years ago

    This is typical EA - they've done it before countless times. Remember Westwood? Bullfrog? and now Pandemic.

    They are like vultures feeding on a corpse whilst the heart still beats.

  • coomber #12 2 years ago

    I'm glad to se EA is still proudly committed to inferior Mercenaries sequels.

  • makeamazing #13 2 years ago

    This is why i dont intend to initally buy Sabateour (sp?) initially, because i dont want to give EA money after they dumped the team, though I suspect they already knew from pre-orders the poor sales its likely to get.

    Anyway i think this is a poor show, but i guess they had another team sitting around doing nothing, and thought it was better to move the project.

  • Pastici #14 2 years ago

    Well maybe it won't look like ass.

  • reflux #15 2 years ago

    "It's like one of those scenarios whereby you find out you've lost your job and the next day the e-mail goes out saying what a wonderful place it is to work, huge profits and invitation to the Xmas do. "

    Been there, got that e-mail, only it was the summer party.

  • mkreku #16 2 years ago

    The worst was when EA axed Origin (the Ultima games). But I really liked Mercenaries 2 (in co-op) so this Pandemic axing is not good either. Luckily we might see another Mercenaries at least.

  • FortysixterUK #17 2 years ago

    EA chews up and destroys a studio just for its IP...business as usual then.
    Still, can't fault some of the games EA distribute , I've just invested in the deluxe editions of BF2 and BF2142 for £8.00 each so will be enjoying them soon. ( *****walks away aware that he's made a rather random comment****** )

  • YourMessageHere #18 2 years ago

    Wow, didn't take long for EA to become gamer's enemy number one again, did it? This is pretty damn low behaviour, though - the kind of thing there really ought to be laws against, IMO.

  • The-Bodybuilder #19 2 years ago

    EA return to their monstrous ways.
    In 5 years time, watch them spit out bioware, whilst retaining their IPs.

  • ChaK #20 2 years ago

    hey EA, what if your PC version is developped like for PC not ps2 for once (read merc 2 was awefull)

  • Murton #21 2 years ago

    This sort of thing is happening in the games industry now with frightening regularity. Games are released and then the publisher sacks the studio.

    EA have managed to create some great games in the last year or so with Dead Space and Red Alert 3, hopefully they can continue that streak and not run their "new" IP into the ground.