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[Dr. Samuel Hayden]

Guy who played a big part in making Halo who joined EA to work on Battlefield now seems to have left. Whatever hope I had for this series recovering is gone now.

Marcus Lehto, the game director at Ridgeline Games has already left EA and his studio after just over two years at the company.


The news was first spotted by @GhostGamingG and @DANNYonPC on Twitter, who posted screenshots of Lehto’s seemingly abrupt departure. All references to Battlefield and Ridgeline Games have been removed, including confirmation from Lehto himself on his Facebook earlier today.

It’s currently unclear if Lehto has left the studio himself, or if the studio has entirely shut down. As DANNYonPC points out, there are currently no vacancies open for Ridgeline Games on the official EA website.


Lehto joined EA following the launch of Battlefield 2042 in a major restructuring for the franchise, where he was building a new development team in Seattle focused on injecting more storytelling into the Battlefield universe. Several months after his official announcement, it was confirmed that Lehto was to be the Creative Director of a new studio named Ridgeline Games.


Earlier this month, Lehto posted a picture of Ridgeline Games and employees in a social media post, seemingly implying that everything was fine.


In a recent earnings call, EA confirmed that it was working on its next Battlefield title which will be a “reimagination of Battlefield”.


Insider Gaming has reached out to its sources and EA for comment and will update you as we hear more.


Developing Story…

Battlefield Game Director Marcus Lehto Has Left EA - Insider Gaming

Marcus Lehto, the game director at Ridgeline Games has already left EA and his studio after just over two years at the company.

insider-gaming.com

 

[mitch1971]

Someones left a job everyone.

He's just one man.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

Marcus Lehto made Disintigration. Disintigration got a 62 Metascore and a 59 user score. He will be missed.

 

[cash_longfellow]

He probably left because the game is close to being a complete product. Should be out next year, so ideas have already been put in place and created. It’s just a matter of making everything work together as it should and fine tuning prior to full testing and release.

Also, this wasn’t the guy who was going to save the franchise anyway.

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

Ridgeline is the studio that was making "story-focused games set in the Battlefield universe".

So no loss.

 

[ozz ex machina]

He probably left because the game is close to being a complete product. Should be out next year, so ideas have already been put in place and created. It’s just a matter of making everything work together as it should and fine tuning prior to full testing and release.

Also, this wasn’t the guy who was going to save the franchise anyway.

Don't you miss out on royalties doing this? I have no clue how that works so maybe I'm way off/they don't get royalties.

 

[cash_longfellow]

Don't you miss out on royalties doing this? I have no clue how that works so maybe I'm way off/they don't get royalties.

I think it all varies based on contracts. Impossible to really say. He might have just been paid to stay as long as he did per contract. Of course it’s always possible he got let go because he sucks at his job. No real telling.

I imagine it’s similar to musicians on major labels. They get paid to go in and complete the recording process. Once they are done with their part, it goes to editing and mixing/mastering, then mass production (if that exists anymore lol). But most times, once an artist is done recording the songs, they are done with their portion of their contract. In some instances, musicians also play a part in their own mixing/mastering, but not always. At that point, they completed their contract and are entitled to whatever payments are written into the contract, royalties included.

Only way we will know with this situation is if he comes out and says it, or EA says something. But again, he might not even be able to say anything depending on if certain confidentiality rules are written into the contract as well.

Plus these guys were only rumored to be working on the single player narrative for the game, and I imagine that’s the first portion complete.

 

[SantaC]

He probably left because the game is close to being a complete product. Should be out next year, so ideas have already been put in place and created. It’s just a matter of making everything work together as it should and fine tuning prior to full testing and release.

Also, this wasn’t the guy who was going to save the franchise anyway.

complete speculation on your part

 

[The Infectious Paradox]

Please God somehow let the next battlefield be a banger. PLEASE.

 

[cash_longfellow]

complete speculation on your part

Of course it is. The original post is all speculation as well. None of us know for sure what happened, that’s why we discuss here, right?

 

[DaciaJC]

where he was building a new development team in Seattle focused on injecting more storytelling into the Battlefield universe.

Right, because that's what Battlefield needed more of, storytelling. *snort*

EA continues to be hopelessly out of touch.

 

[Hudo]

Andrew Wilson really fucked EA. Their game development pipeline seems like a fucking mess, with not a lot of games coming out since most of them are in some kind of development hell and those that do come out are mediocre to bad. And EA Sports' microtransaction bullshit is essentially carrying the whole company right now.

I dunno, man. Maybe EA is profitable but the company does not seem like it is in a healthy position at all.