20 March 2024 – Marcus Lehto co-created Halo and was a senior creative on every Bungie Halo game until 2012. He departed to form V1 Interactive, which made Disintegration, before joining EA in 2021 and founding Ridgeline Games, a Seattle-based developer working on a new Battlefield game with a story focus.
I say “was” since Ridgeline is one of the newest game and tech layoffs. In late February, EA said it would close the studio and lay off all employees. Additionally, Lehto announced his departure from the publication. His mood could be better.
“I Was gut-punched to see EA lay off my team,” Lehto said on X. “There were so many very talented devs who were incredibly valuable to the Battlefield franchise.” Lehto clarifies: “I left EA voluntarily. I struggled with this choice.” After thanking the Battlefield fanbase and wishing EA’s remaining teams well, he attacks the publisher. DICE co-developed Ridgeline’s single-player campaign, which Lehto stated will “engage players in new ways.” It was a solo project, but its fate is unclear.
Conclusion
Lehto is too experienced to say what he thinks, but you can tell, and this one stings deep. Lehto concluded his statement by saying he’ll take a vacation from the profession and consider returning. “I’ll take a break from games to decide what to do next.”
