Electronic Arts (EA) has turned the corner after a weak end to 2024. One measure in FC 25 in particular brought the struggling video game giant back on track financially.
EA’s net bookings fell by more than $400 million from the third to the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025 – and yet the trend is positive. The three months to December 31 fell short of high expectations for the Christmas season: With net bookings of $2.215 billion, EA fell well short of its forecast of between $2.4 and $2.55 billion.
The first three months of 2025, on the other hand, even “exceeded” expectations, according to CEO Andrew Wilson. Although they were weaker than the previous quarter in terms of total figures, this is more likely due to seasonal factors.
Net revenue of just under $1.9 billion and net bookings of $1.8 billion – each more than $100 million higher than in the same period in 2024. EA is recovering from its crash quarter. But what is the reason for this?
“Biggest live service update ever”
The positive turnaround is once again closely linked to EA SPORTS FC. After the FUT exodus in late fall and winter 2024, which had a significant impact on the financial slump, EA patched itself back to health:
Wilson spoke of the “biggest live service update in the FC series ever.” Together with the Team of the Year (TOTY), this brought more than two million players back to FUT in January.
“Player engagement” also increased by a double-digit percentage, which is reflected in the financial results. The share of “live services and other” in net revenue was just under 77 percent, which represents a clear increase over the previous quarter (68).
FUT stabilized, and EA stabilized along with it. However, there are other reasons for the turnaround.
Apex Legends improves, Split Fiction hits the mark
American football is booming virtually: Madden NFL and College Football achieved a 70 percent year-on-year increase in net bookings. The strong financial performance of these titles was maintained even after the end of the season with the national college championship and Super Bowl.
Apex Legends rebounded after a weak third quarter: The five-year update in Season 20 led to the return of many former players, boosting live services revenue for the shooter.
In terms of net bookings, The Sims 4 delivered the strongest fourth quarter in franchise history. In addition, Split Fiction from subsidiary Hazelight Studios became a real hit: The game sold almost four million copies in a short period of time – twice as many as EA had originally expected.
Fiscal year 2025 still a step backward
Despite all the internal joy over the recovery of the figures, the 2025 fiscal year can hardly be considered a success. Net revenue fell from $7.56 billion in 2024 to $7.46 billion, while net bookings declined by $75 million.
However, EA is optimistic that the new fiscal year will bring more money into the coffers, with net revenue forecast to be between US$7.6 billion and US$8 billion. The outlook for the first quarter of 2026, on the other hand, is conservative. EA expects net bookings of US$1.175 billion to US$1.275 billion.
Investors are pleased with the latest quarterly report: EA shares are currently trading at almost $144. This represents an increase of almost five percent on Wednesday morning alone, bringing the share price back to the level seen in November 2024.
