EA DICE LA Rebrands and is Working on BF 2042 and a Surprise
EA DICE LA team has been rebranded as Ripple Effect Studios. The Los Angeles-based developers are helping with Battlefield 2042 for now, but are also working on their own title.
- EA DICE LA has been rebranded as Ripple Effect Studios;
- The "new" team will be supervised by Vince Zampella of Respawn Entertainment;
- Currently, developers are helping with EA DICE's "love letter" to fans in Battlefield 2042, but they've also started work on an unannounced project.
As of now, EA DICE LA is to be known as Ripple Effect Studios. This is the name voted on by the employees of the developer from Los Angeles, which so far was known mainly for supporting the main branch of DICE on subsequent installments of Battlefield. Christian Grass (the studio's general manager) emphasized that while the team will not forget its roots, their ambition is to set standards with their games and the development process by promoting a positive work culture;
"Our ambition is to become a studio that excels at everything — not just making games but also the process of how we make them. We want to reach a super level of quality in everything we do, no matter how big or small. This philosophy applies to everything, from constantly refining our development process, to cultivating a positive company culture and growing a thriving community.
We’re so proud of our work as DICE LA and the DICE team will forever be a part of our DNA, but over the past eight years, we’ve developed our own culture and our own way of doing things,” says Christian Grass, GM of Ripple Effect Studios. “We’re excited to look towards the future, expand the team and establish our own identity."
In addition to Grass, the newly rebranded team will be led by Vince Zampella, who will also continue to lead the studio he founded, Respawn Entertainment. It was Zampella who spoke back in early 2020 about the need to change the "image" of EA DICE LA (via Los Angeles Times). Leaving aside assurances about the developers' talent and ambition, the announcement also reveals the team's immediate plans. First, they're working on a "player-inspired experience" within Battlefield 2042. We're expected to learn more about that in the coming weeks.
Secondly - Ripple Effect Studios is already starting to develop their own, yet undisclosed game. Perhaps it will be another FPS, because - as Grass admitted in an interview with IGN - many of the devs are veterans of shooters and it would be worthwhile to use their experience. However, the genre hasn't been confirmed yet, not to mention any details. Also the job offers do not reveal anything tangible about the team's plans.
