EA to cut customer support staff in US, Ireland

Up to 100 people may lose their jobs as EA cuts customer support staff at its US office in Austin, and its European hub in Galway.

Staff affected currently support live operations on FIFA 22, Kotaku reported, among other games.

EA has confirmed the layoffs and said the job losses would ultimately "reduce complexity and increase our efficiency, flexibility and scalability".

The layoffs reportedly follow calls by Austin and Galway employees for more money, following past annual raises below inflation - allegedly only an extra $0.10 per hour.

Email, phone and live chat support is expected to continue, though now outsourced to workers elsewhere.

In a statement to Kotaku, EA said the changes were not linked to the company's recent split from FIFA, which will see the company's flagship football game rebranded from 2023.

"We are considering changing a number of roles within the team, closing some roles and also creating new ones," EA said. "We are working closely with our people throughout this process and are providing support to anyone whose role is impacted."