Electronic Arts Chief Executive Officer Andrew Wilson received total compensation of $38.65 million for the 2026 financial year, marking a sharp increase from the previous year while the company continued cutting jobs across several development teams.
Wilson’s compensation rose by approximately $8.12 million compared with the $30.53 million he received in fiscal year 2025. That represents an increase of about 27 percent.
The package included a base salary of $1.3 million, stock awards worth $28.48 million, a cash bonus of $6.5 million, and another $2.37 million in additional compensation. The final category included benefits such as personal security and private aircraft use.
EA linked much of the higher reward to the performance of Battlefield 6, along with results from EA Sports FC, Apex Legends, and other major properties. The company also credited progress on its generative artificial intelligence strategy.
Battlefield 6 helped drive the executive bonus
EA said Battlefield 6 met the milestones required for a high quality launch. The game became the best selling title in the United States during 2025, giving the publisher one of its strongest recent commercial results.
The company’s bonus pool was funded at 110 percent of its target based on overall business performance. A separate measure connected to non GAAP net revenue produced a payout of 106.2 percent.
EA recorded non GAAP net revenue of $8.026 billion, exceeding its original target of $7.85 billion.
| Compensation category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Base salary | $1.3 million |
| Stock awards | $28.48 million |
| Cash bonus | $6.5 million |
| Other compensation | $2.37 million |
| Total compensation | $38.65 million |
The financial results explain how Wilson qualified for the larger package under EA’s compensation system. However, the timing has attracted criticism because the company also reduced staff at studios responsible for developing Battlefield 6.
Layoffs affected four Battlefield development teams
EA cut jobs at DICE, Criterion Games, Ripple Effect, and Motive Studio on March 9, 2026. All four teams contributed to the development of Battlefield 6.
The company said the restructuring was intended to align its teams more closely with the priorities of its community. The layoffs still raised questions because they followed the strong commercial performance of a project produced by the affected studios.
For developers and players, the contrast is difficult to ignore. Battlefield 6 achieved the milestones used to support a large executive bonus, while some of the people who helped build the game lost their jobs.
Wilson was not the only senior executive to receive increased compensation. Chief Financial Officer Stuart Canfield earned $11.32 million, up from $9.12 million in the previous year. President Laura Miele received $13.71 million.
EA reported that its median employee earned total compensation of $126,612 during the same period. Wilson’s package was approximately 305 times larger than the amount received by the company’s typical worker.
Wilson’s compensation has increased over several years
The 2026 package continues a longer pattern of rising executive compensation. Wilson received $19.86 million in fiscal year 2022 and $25.64 million in fiscal year 2024 before reaching more than $38 million this year.
During parts of that period, EA also carried out repeated workforce reductions and reorganised several development teams.
Shareholders have largely supported the company’s approach to executive pay. EA’s 2025 advisory vote on compensation received approximately 90 percent support, suggesting that most participating investors accepted the existing reward structure.
That support may reflect EA’s financial performance and the value of its largest franchises. It does not remove concerns about how the company distributes the benefits of successful releases across executives and employees.
EA’s ownership change adds further uncertainty
The compensation disclosure arrives as Electronic Arts prepares for a major ownership transition through a planned $55 billion buyout involving the Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners.
The transaction could lead to changes in spending, staffing, and development priorities. Employees at studios with recent commercial difficulties may face particular uncertainty as the new owners examine the company’s operations.
BioWare has attracted attention because of the mixed performance of several recent releases, although EA has attempted to reassure employees about its future. No major closure has been officially confirmed.
The treatment of the Battlefield teams shows that strong sales do not necessarily protect a studio from restructuring. That makes it difficult to predict how EA’s workforce will be managed after the ownership change.
Wilson’s compensation reflects the financial and commercial targets established by EA’s board. The package also places renewed attention on the distance between executive rewards and the experience of developers whose jobs remain vulnerable even when their games succeed.
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