EA's Q4 Results Surpass Expectations, Marking a Strong Conclusion to the Fiscal Year

Electronic Arts has released its fourth-quarter financial results, covering the three months ending March 31, 2025. According to CEO Andrew Wilson, these results "significantly exceeded expectations". For the full year, EA experienced slight declines across various metrics but saw a 1% increase in full game sales to $2.02 billion, driven by new releases such as Split Fiction and Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Key financial highlights include: Revenue of $1.8 billion, up 5.8% year-over-year, and net income of $254 million, up 39.5% year-over-year. For the full year, revenue was $7.4 billion, down 1.3% year-over-year, and net income was $1.1 billion, down 8% year-over-year. EA's CFO, Stuart Canfield, described the fourth-quarter results as a "strong finish" to the fiscal year, attributing the success to the "reacceleration of growth" in EA Sports FC, the continued momentum of the American Football franchise, over 30% growth in net bookings for The Sims franchise, and the successful launch of Split Fiction. Developed by Hazelight Studios and published by EA, Split Fiction was the main driver of growth for EA's full game sales in Q4, generating $384 million, up 48% year-over-year. Canfield noted that sales for Split Fiction were "nearly double our expectations", with the game surpassing four million copies sold. The Global Football franchise also experienced record growth, with net bookings exceeding $1 billion, up 70% year-over-year. Live service revenues rose 1% to $1.42 billion, driven by the strength of FC Ultimate Team, College Football Ultimate Team, and The Sims franchise. The Sims saw over 30% growth in net bookings for the fourth quarter, the best in the franchise's history, supported by its 25th-anniversary celebrations, which included the re-release of The Sims and The Sims 2, alongside a new expansion pack and creator kits. Wilson stated, "This quarter was a strong finish to a pivotal year where we acted decisively – realigning resources, managing costs, and focusing on our biggest opportunities." EA's Q3 results were below expectations due to the temporary underperformance of EA Sports FC 25. Since then, EA has taken measures to drive future growth, including cutting around 300 jobs and cancelling two early-stage incubation projects. Looking ahead, EA projects net bookings between $7.6 billion and $8 billion for the new financial year, with revenues estimated to be between $7.1 billion and $7.5 billion. For the first quarter, net bookings are expected to be between $1.1 billion and $1.2 billion, alongside net revenue projections of between $1.5 billion and $1.2 billion. Wilson concluded, "As we look to the next two years and beyond, we are positioned for strong growth driven by expansion across our live services, new game launches, and building global fandom through new experiences."