Patrick Söderlund set to leave EA

Patrick Söderlund is a name you probably recognise as one of the key executives at Electronic Arts, originally joining EA as the boss of Battlefield studio DICE (acquired by EA in 2004), Söderlund has climbed the executive ranks of the publisher to become head of worldwide studios and most recently chief design officer. It has now been announced that Söderlund is leaving the publisher after a transition period concludes in three months. Söderlund has recently been spearheading initiatives like the R&D division SEED and the indie label EA Originals.

This news was reported in an open letter published by CEO Andrew Wilson that was also sent out to all employees. Wilson thanked Söderlund for his services, and while there doesn't seem to be one person stepping into Söderlund's role there seems to be a number of changes and moves to compensate Söderlund's departure.

SEED's Johan Andersson is joining the studios group, while EA is also bringing Jason Wozencroft to their studios to "lead a strong, unified UX approach for our games and services". What's more is that the EA Originals and Partners team under Rob Letts will also join the Strategic Growth group.

Söderlund sold his stocks in EA a couple of years ago, and while this means he's in a position to enjoy umbrella drinks and beach activities for the rest of his life, it also means that he has the funds to start something new if that's what he wants to do. Surely there are also other companies in the industry interested in having Söderlund join their ranks given his experience and track record.

We most recently spoke with Söderlund at Gamescom 2017, pretty much on the day one year ago, and in the interview he spoke about both the EA Originals and SEED initiatives at length as well as some other things such as the future of the Mass Effect franchise (a hot topic at the time). Check it out below: