EA to close Pandemic today?

By Oli Welsh Published 17 November, 2009

Demise rumoured for Mercs studio.

Kotaku has information that EA will shut down Pandemic Studios in Los Angeles today, at the cost of some 200 jobs.

This is unconfirmed at present, and Kotaku expects the announcement to be made at 11am local time today - that's 7pm GMT.

The move is said to be part of the 1500 job cuts EA announced it would make last week, after heavy losses at the super-publisher.

At the time, Gamasutra said that the affected studios would include EA Redwood Shores, Tiburon, Mythic and Black Box. Kotaku then added Pandemic, Maxis and the Command & Conquer team at EA LA to the endangered list.

Pandemic was formed in 1998, and struck gold with the releases of squad shooter Full Spectrum Warrior and Star Wars: Battlefront in 2004, and free-roaming actioner Mercenaries in 2005.

A merger with RPG experts BioWare followed in short order, and EA bought the whole show two years later in October 2007.

But Mercenaries 2: World in Flames failed to set the world alight. A never-confirmed Batman game based on the Dark Knight film was cancelled, supposedly at great cost, resulting in Pandemic's Australian offshoot being cut loose by EA.

Pandemic has recently been working on World War II adventure The Saboteur, due for release next month on PC, PS3 and 360.

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (38) Latest comment 2 years ago

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

  • BabyJesus #1 2 years ago

    Ouch, kicking them out the door before their game is even released. Thats more like the old EA.

    Don't be cunts again EA...

  • Skurmedel #2 2 years ago

    Noo not Pandemic :(...

    (Who the fuck minused me, do you want them to get fired?...)
    Edited by 1 at 17/11/09 @ 13:40

  • BabyJesus #3 2 years ago

    If EA did anything ever to Bioware, I swear I would actually blow up EA HQ.

  • SleepyDeathFred #4 2 years ago

    I'd really love to see some stuff from that Dark Knight game, even though we got the excellent Arkham Asylum. I guess it'll probably show up like DNF on peoples' resumes?

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #5 2 years ago

    I blame Swine Flu.

  • cianchristopher #6 2 years ago

    They're a shit studio - the Saboteur game looks absolutely atrocious!

    EA's gotta cut loose the dredge, these guys are prime candidates for oblivion.

    Don't come back, Pandemic! (In any way, shape or form)

  • HL706 #7 2 years ago

    Maxis on the endangered list - I thought they'd be untouchable.

  • bad09 #8 2 years ago

    Wow, that's sad....but hardly surprising seeing what they've done since BF. Thank you Pandemic though for Battlefront 1 and 2 the most fun I've had online.

    Good luck to them remember it's only a job, it's only money, it's only a car, it's only a house. As long as you have your families and the will you'll make it through the rough so just say "fuck it, it could be worse!"

    To all those losing their job this time of year (Sod it, for EVERYONE!)
    Edited by 1 at 17/11/09 @ 13:35

  • Izmunuti #9 2 years ago

    Maxis don't work on the Sims now though, add that to Spore being dissapointing and the seeming death of Sim City and I wouldn't be surprised to see them go.

  • Weezer #10 2 years ago

    What a lovely way for them all to find out too.

  • Instinct #11 2 years ago

    Thought Saboteur looks very promising, personally, and I enjoyed Mercs 2 too. =/

  • lennon #12 2 years ago

    Hmmm I have only just pre-ordered The Saboteur. Wonder if this is linked to it being finished then or will it never make it out?

    I hope they do reform and make another FSW game. Loved that very much.

  • Eraysor #13 2 years ago

    At least see if the game does well. Of course, considering EA have more access to it than the public, they might already know it's terrible.

  • asphaltcowboy #14 2 years ago

    I did really enjoy Mercs 2, but there is absolutely no doubt it was shonky as hell!

  • trooperdx3117 #15 2 years ago

    I would be sad for Pandemic but the fact that they had to rubbish the Mercenaries name with Mercs 2 means I have little sypmathy for them.

  • NGCes26294BIV #16 2 years ago

    It's really awful to learn of any studio closure, if only because of the massive job losses, but I can't say I'm surprised by this. Pandemic have not produced the quality many expected of them, and their last few games have financially underperformed too.

    Sad times. Good luck to all that are on the hunt for a new job now.

  • agparrot #17 2 years ago

    @asphalt
    I did really enjoy Mercs 2, but there is absolutely no doubt it was shonky as hell!

    Yeah, I can't help but feel if it had been a polished and slightly more rounded package, it would have done better and yadda yadda Pandemic might have lasted a bit longer.

  • Skurmedel #18 2 years ago

    They will always be in my hearts for Full Spectrum Warrior.

  • Monkey_Puncher #19 2 years ago

    Sad to see people lose their jobs, but I can't say their next gen efforts so far have been up to much so this isn't all that surprising. Mercs was great on Xbox and so was Full Spectrum Warrior, but since then their games really haven't been up to much. Lord of the Rings looked pretty terrible and Mercs 2 was one of the buggiest piles of rubbish I've ever had the misfortune to play. Can't say the Saboteur looked up to much either, just looked like a slightly upgraded Mercs 2 engine game with a World War 2 theme.

  • Lee_Morris #20 2 years ago

    That's a shame as The Saboteur look quite good. EA seem to be really clearing house.

  • Redeye #21 2 years ago

    I'd like to take every imbecile here scrawling down infuriating crap such as retrend's mind-crushingly inconsiderate comment, and beat them all to within an inch of their lives. Redundancy and unemployment are no joke, and having suffered that situation for the best part of this year, I'd like to extend my heartiest best wishes and speedy re-employment to anyone who finds themselves out of work.

  • mkreku #22 2 years ago

    I thought Pandemic made Borderlands?

  • JEPC123 #23 2 years ago

    @ mkreku

    Nope, Gearbox made Borderlands.

  • frugtkompot #24 2 years ago

    No, that's Gearbox.

  • GiarcYekrub #25 2 years ago

    Shame, I have Mercs 2 and was concidering the Sabauteur.

  • Darren #26 2 years ago

    It's sad to see any development house go under, particularly at this time of year, but in this industry you're only as good as your last game and how many copies it sold.

  • optimusprym8 #27 2 years ago

    Such is the way of the games industry that someone has a big mouth and you have to find out what's happening to your job on the internet before the official line. Happened with the company I used to work for, was most excellent way of finding out you've been made redundant.

  • Machetazo #28 2 years ago

    According to kotaku, existing projects that Pandemic are working on, are most likely to be moved to, and be completed by EA Montreal, so their work won't be binned.

  • dmt2 #29 2 years ago

    I never worked out why Maxis didn't do another Sim City like 4. Full Spectrum Warrior was good. I played it with a chap who'd been in Basra in 2003. He was very taken with the rattling of the uniforms as people ran about. Very realistic.

    Chances are Pandemic would have already gone bust if it wasn't for EA's support. It should have pulled its socks up and made better games.

  • hiddenranbir #30 2 years ago

    After Mercs 2, deserved!

  • teabagger #31 2 years ago

    If anyone from there is reading this, then good luck chaps and I hope you can all get yourselves sorted with new work soon.


  • ChocNut #32 2 years ago

    Hey Redeye, you didn't have anything to do with those edge articles back in the day did you? They were great. Sorry to hear you're out of work

  • makeamazing #33 2 years ago

    Wow EA are really going for it... I dont hold out hope for Saboteur selling well... it just doesnt seem like a million seller, and I do think this along with Band Hero and a few others are going to be the ones suffering this Xmas... probably going to hold off buying Saboteur for that very reason, but even more so if they are going to close the studio.

  • canoot #34 2 years ago

    The saboteur has had some good previews so i think it will sell quite well,there is fuck all else out around that time,apart from cheating,glitching morons playing MW2.

  • FortysixterUK #35 2 years ago

    I think EA are the duffest company in existence...they buy companies, rape their assets and kick them into closure...I still miss the original Westwood. Remember the original CnC's, Lands of Lore etc ?
    EA are tossers...shame they have so many good franchises these days ( please note all sports games are crap ).

  • AphoticCosmos #36 2 years ago

    Sad, especially since I remember battlefront I fondly. However - they haven't made a good game in quite some time. It doesn't surprise me if Pandemic is getting shuttered by EA.

    I'm just glad that Bioware is safe. Dragon Age is awesome :D

  • Nephirion #37 2 years ago

    Wasn't the last game they made the awful mecenaries 2?

    Although I am sure some people found it fun ... bit like those men who pay women to stand on their testicals
    Edited by 1 at 18/11/09 @ 02:14

  • Redeye #38 2 years ago

    ChocNut: Nah, that wasn't me - he just stole my name. ;) And thanks very much, but I'm fortunate enough to be back in gainful employment - long may that continue.