Codemasters Suffers Layoffs After Slow F1 23 Sales

Veteran racing game studio Codemasters, the UK developer behind the official F1 series and WRC, has suffered layoffs soon after the release of EA Sports WRC.

Codemasters and EA confirmed the redundancies to IGN but didn’t reveal how many staff are affected.

Codemasters suffers layoffs

“Our business is constantly changing as we strive to deliver amazing games and services that keep our players engaged, connected, and inspired,” an EA spokesperson told IGN.

“At times, this requires the company to make small-scale organizational changes that align our teams and resources to meet evolving business needs and priorities. We continue to work closely with those affected by these changes, providing appropriate support throughout this process.”

EA bought Codemasters in 2021 for a whopping $1.2 billion, with the aim of creating “a global leader in racing entertainment.” Since then, Codemasters Cheshire, the team behind Dirt 5, merged with Criterion Games to work on the future of Need for Speed Unbound.

Are F1 23’s slow sales to blame?

No further details about the redundancies were revealed, but slow sales of recent releases are likely to blame. Despite positive reviews, F1 23’s launch sales were down almost 47% compared to F1 22, likely due to F1 22’s negative reception and a lack of innovation for the career and My Team modes.

With Max Verstappen dominating the 2023 season, mainstream interest in F1 has also likely declined and affected F1 23’s sales. Let's hope F1 24 can turn the series around next year.

Likewise, EA Sports WRC has reportedly struggled commercially, despite intrigue being EA and Codemasters’ first official WRC title.

This latest round of layoffs comes at a turbulent time in the games industry, with new redundancies seemingly being announced weekly. In the racing game scene, Frontier Developments suffered layoffs in October after F1 Manager 2023’s sales were lower than expected. Frontier aims to reduce its annual operating costs by up to 20%, with an organisational review expected to conclude in 2024.

Motorsport Games also recently laid off 40% of its staff, leading to scrapping the official IndyCar and BTCC games.

Our thoughts are with all staff affected at Codemasters.

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