In a memo to employees today, Nick Earl, EA Games Label senior VP, confirmed the closure of Pandemic Studios LA. He also touched on a new direction for two of its key franchises, Command & Conquer and Medal of Honor.
Last week, we reported that the core Command & Conquer team would be let go following the release of Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight. While Earl didn't touch on those rumored changes, he confirms that Jon Van Caneghem, formerly of Trion World Network "has recently joined EA to transform Command and Conquer with a new digital model that is going to re-ignite the fan base for this franchise."
Earl also calls EA's planned revitalization of the Medal of Honor franchise "simply stunning," writing that "[EALA studio head] Sean Decker and Greg Goodrich have been leading a re-invention" of the first-person shooter series,
"We couldn't be happier with the focus and progress these teams have shown," Earl writes.
In the internal communication obtained by Kotaku, Earl assured employees that the "new team at EALA has turned this studio into a showcase for the 'fewer things better' initiative." If that sounds familiar, EA Games label president Frank Gibeau said something similar in an investor call, saying that EA plans to focus on more of its "core IP" and proven "blockbusters."