In a statement on the official EA website, the company describes the situation as having been ‘an unprecedented few days in an already unprecedented time.’ EA reveals that ‘since, January, we’ve (EA) had a global taskforce closely monitoring the evolving situation…to respond to the changing needs of our people in real time.’ The statement goes on to state that the company is ‘strongly recommending that all our employees in North America, Europe and Australia work from home until April 1’. This is to, in their words, ‘limit potential exposure to coronavirus’.
It comes as no surprise to fans, as already so many industries and events have been closed and cancelled due to the ongoing global health crisis, including the unprecedented closure of E3 2020. In response to this latest development, one fan tweeted ‘the new COVID-19 disease has stopped all competitions around the world. Really sad about that!’ Fear not, as EA stands resilient, stating that they ‘now have thousands of employees that have taken equipment to their homes so we can keep our games and services running.’ Yet in times such as these, gaming companies and event managers all seem unanimous when concerning the evolving pandemic – putting the health and social security of employees and fans first. In the words of EA – ‘Be safe and be well’.
Cover image: Bago Games on Flickr
