Battlefield boss moving on after almost two decades
Electronic Arts has announced that their Chief Design Officer, Patrick Söderlund, is to leave the publisher later this year to pursue ventures elsewhere.
As the former CEO of DICE, Söderlund oversaw the development of numerous Battlefield tiles, the Mirror’s Edge games and the Star Wars Battlefront series, as well as the creation of the popular Frostbite engine. Söderlund moved into an EA management position after the acquisition of DICE in 2006. Overall, Söderlund has spent the best part of twenty years working within these divisions, being promoted to Chief Design Officer in April this year.
“Patrick has been a trusted business partner and a great friend, and his inspiring leadership has had an outstanding impact on EA,” said EA boss Andrew Wilson. “As an integral part of the management team for many years – including as head of Worldwide Studios and, most recently, Chief Design Officer – he’s been an agent of change and transformation. From his early vision for Frostbite, which has now become a cornerstone for our technology strategy, to being a champion for Players First experiences, Patrick has always ensured we put creative at the center of everything we do.”
Söderlund recently hit the headlines due to his involvement in the controversial, microtransaction-heavy marketing of Star Wars Battlefront II, which saw a huge wave of negativity wash over the big-budget sequel, with even Walt Disney themselves stepping in to take control of the situation.
Currently in a three month transitional period in his current role at EA, Söderlund will then begin 2019 anew. With his storied history and experience in the AAA gaming industry, it will be interesting to see which studio he works with next, or perhaps whether he goes into business for himself.
An update on our creative leadership [Official]
