# EA Sports Is Working on a Brand New Open-World Football Game

> **Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-10-21 20:20 UTC · Category: Technology

## Executive Summary
Electronic Arts undertakes major studio restructuring, pausing several franchise projects while developing open-world football.

## Intelligence Brief
Recent reporting across multiple gaming outlets outlines substantial changes and project developments at Electronic Arts. According to coverage from IGN and Shacknews, EA Sports is currently developing a brand-new open-world football experience that carries the internal codename Project Gridiron. Concurrently, reporting from TwistedVoxel indicates that the company has revealed new projects spanning across several major intellectual properties, including Battlefield and Fight Night. These announcements arrive alongside simultaneous structural shifts affecting internal studios, altering the landscape of several long-running franchises.


Coverage highlights significant internal contraction alongside these new reveals, particularly concerning Maxis and BioWare. Outlets including Insider Gaming, Sims Community, and TradingView report that EA has canceled an unnamed project from the Sims franchise and paused development on Project Rene. TradingView further details that development on Project Lotus at BioWare has been paused, while the studio behind Skate is undergoing restructuring into a smaller team. The Sims Community notes that Maxis, the studio behind The Sims, appears to be affected by these recent layoffs, though the full scope of personnel reductions is still unfolding across the various reporting channels.


These developments build on a backdrop of shifting priorities within the publisher's development pipeline. The simultaneous revelation of new titles like Project Gridiron alongside widespread pauses on existing initiatives like Project Lotus and Project Rene points to a broader realignment of resources. While the available coverage does not yet specify exact release timelines for the newly revealed experiences or detailed employment statistics for the affected studios, the juxtaposition of new greenlit concepts against canceled and paused projects marks a distinct phase of strategic transformation for the publisher.


Observers and industry followers will need to monitor subsequent reports to understand the full operational impact of these structural changes. Future coverage from outlets tracking these developments will likely address the eventual status of Project Gridiron, the trajectory of the restructured Skate team, and any further announcements regarding the paused projects at Maxis and BioWare. For now, the available information outlines a complex period of simultaneous expansion and contraction across multiple high-profile franchises.

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|
| Sherdog | EA Sports confirms Fight Night boxing franchise is coming back | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipgFBVV95cUxQUEdUMXl3TjRKRmdzUTVLUk1zaDVkQmJvRExSOVlfOGhGNjFYWGRJeU5RTm44S3VFY1NfdlFLajlNZTlBMDBwSkRSSjQ5a1NMbmwwaW9qd1RVeEFQUWU5MmZSQ2xxQ0Q1TVhBZGtYNHNkQUZQNlBtcklsV0MwQTlJUjVMZ1NzMnpKcktaa0lJZFdlYU9JczFsNEZodGxPQ3RpX3NHZGpR0gGrAUFVX3lxTE1NMnQyM1ZnSWlTaVdlOWhVanc0OW1YV3dhN2UxcnpzYUpRRjZRNGhZOUZ4TkItX0lDX0VySkJNeG9CR2hzc1NXNzFCSmswem5kQXpnaE9hRlBsSlJ4TFlZOTRJWGdyamwzYklQUFhuS0tRYWhNUVl6bVF5ZXM4S1hMQmtRay1LbUlaeFRBM1JXeDJ0R1pNZ3dlTEMxbnViUV8tVWNrRzhfQXlfTQ?) |
| Inven Global | EA teams Respawn and DICE on a new shooter and pauses The Sims' Project Lotus | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiuwFBVV95cUxQc3R3Vnc3eWlyZU4zZXlmM3F4Z3NUZkpaNkU1ZllzMVdaeTcxYlhBc3hsck9hUG9MVy10UWxFQ0VUdnZIZXdqVE80VkJyMWhCSFoycUtlZVpWLUN4VHVneHFqTFNpNGdCQzV2UWJ4c1B4UXpraHhINGVlZlVaUlVZdVRtbFhDVUpPYkVxQVhSc2xOUUFFNVhWWTd1LUU3RVdfS01SUEI0S0tkQVQwQVF4ZVVqalBwWER1V1BB?oc=5) |
| Shacknews | EA Sports is working on a new 'open-world' football experience codenamed 'Project Gridiron' | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMif0FVX3lxTE4xRmpTVXNyQW16RFZqZEVqQ2RUa0ZTcnpwV0ZyeHpEUTY0bHJsU3F6MmtwUERyVlVvSVFJcVNDTU82Yl9ZaW4yYms0b2xVQUotRVNwTWZHOU9aOEtzdXFNQUVLV2lvZ3Faa0trdDdOckt2WjBuRjhXeGVZN2x1Sms?oc=5) |
| Sims Community | Maxis, The Studio Behind The Sims, Seems To Be Affected By Recent EA Layoffs | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMickFVX3lxTE9ZeG81YVdwaDhUTlJkVm16eU1SUGJ6YnY1ZGNiSHk3WWhweWtTZGNkX0o1TkhLNzZYNFNGZmVxbll2SEkwTHNIVl9GQUtMeTNjT0ZUVURhSFRCZGVXX1BiUjJJRGV1RVZXTXBFOUY0cGhKZw?oc=5) |
| Insider Gaming | EA Has Canceled a Project from the 'Sims' Franchise | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigwFBVV95cUxPQ2dkWkh1SmpEbXZ5Wjl2SkNjSDE4eTBNYmlVSC1FU3RBaVg3Mk8zSDcyeFczVnJ1cGVBa1U2TS1QRHBWR21RMUNfOG5PY0dTcWEtcWh4d3NCUHFHLWJlSElOZ0FZeGc1RHFmaFM1bHFVbkJRV014UDBzQU5uOGc0M0tqQQ?oc=5) |
| TwistedVoxel | EA Reveals New Projects for Battlefield, Fight Night, and More | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMibkFVX3lxTE1HZ2E2VldZemFPNzZWVHpoTmhrUEFZUk9RNl9YSXFlX3lXZWlQbHB4T1l6RmlZdnIzNGxpYmVuZkdCdU43WWFZamZKS1JoQ2xUejdKV1otSzVkVkdvdzhUU1hyT3hVZ3hrSEpKV0ln?oc=5) |
| TradingView | EA To Pause Development On Project Lotus, Bioware; Restructure Skate Studio To Smaller Team | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi8AFBVV95cUxNUnQ2NUFfY1pyVi1RWWhjaFBqalpkRUVqbE1iZDN5ZU5QZkh2MjZZcUlYcjIzbE5XVmktRlVYVmxLUXM0ZG0zcm15US03VzQ3YnI1djAwQnk4NFE0Rjc3MkxCeWlyMXMyamlaOUpFb0VCaFplaXU1ano1aUh5YTIxODJLeGU1UU1ESGl2LVZzT0k3NlBfSUJXNFJPbGdTamFDd2JjY1Jnbmx1VHdqX1FDWEI5WUF3TnlMZDQ5aXNDN2x1YkNrbXRWWk1WS082OWl5b29JMjE1aEZrUFk5N05sQ1JpU0hFTUNxY3QzNlB6b3g?oc=5) |
| Sims Community | The Sims Project Rene IS PAUSED – The Sims Project Evergreen / Project X IS NEXT! | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMifEFVX3lxTE9XbXFjUTJzWTJnR2FBRTYwblFYaW4yX0NOTW9pdHh3djJmemNZenBERDFkemMxZ29admFvN2VwWDNzYWFFVzU2V2dRQmFBLTBVYTBJV01zMF9HQllKY0IyVFNPZWc5endOOUhNSmNySGY4aU53UHVfSFJwOVQ?oc=5) |
| IGN | EA Sports Is Working on a Brand New Open-World Football Game | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilAFBVV95cUxNQXNjRkp4ZTJ2Z1F0X1BPWC1Ma091VmViSWZ0OFFlSTBiNVFwYWhfSVR0OE1IdzRsUFZHS3dxQi1rRXdvUDEwMlAxOHpyeXQ3bkpJMTdEQUJ6SXNEQzhMZ1hEcHJETEJMYWx2VUtaZjBHZXllLVBOa2pNbWNzbHVMRjZfa1NIb1NNT0lBbWF1Z0g4ZkY2?oc=5) |

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*Canonical Source: https://pulse.byoviral.com/trend/2026-10-21/ea-sports-is-working-on-a-brand-new-open-world-football-game*