Andrew Wilson sees “breakout potential” in DA: The Veilguard as EA reports record Q2 bookings

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Financial highlights

• According to its quarterly results, Electronic Arts surpassed $2 billion in net bookings, up 14% compared to the same period last year. This is a Q2 record for the company, “exceeding the high end of our guidance range.”
• Net revenue grew 5.8% year-over-year to $2 billion.
• Live services were the main driver of growth, accounting for 60% of net bookings in the quarter. This segment generated $1.24 billion for EA, up 10% year-over-year.
• Console remained the number one platform by bookings, bringing in $1.48 billion (+29 year-over-year). It is followed by PC ($327 million, -16%) and mobile ($270 million, -3%).

• EA also reported a net profit of $294 million, down 26% compared to the same period last year.
• The company raised its FY25 outlook, expecting to generate $7.4-7.7 billion in net revenue and $1-1.15 billion in net income for the full-year ending March 31, 2025.

Game metrics and updates

• The American Football brand, which includes Madden NFL and College Football, is expected to surpass $1 billion in full-year net bookings.
• In Q2, hours played in these games increased by over 140% year-over-year, and the number of new users more than doubled.
• The Sims 4 attracted over 15 million new players over the past year.
• During an earnings call, Electronic Arts CFO Stuart Canfield noted that Apex Legends’ net bookings “fell short of our expectations for the quarter” due to the battle pass changes.
• The company will continue to support the game and adjust its features and monetization, with no plans to make Apex 2.0, as it doesn’t want players to “have to choose between the investments they’ve made to date and future innovation creativity.”
• CEO Andrew Wilson made a few remarks about Dragon Age: The Veilguard, saying that the game has “breakout potential” — especially during the period when competition in the genre is “limited.”
• He noted that while much of EA’s business has moved to live service projects, the company still wants to create innovative games for different audiences. “We expect Dragon Age[: The Veilguard] to be a great example of how our blockbuster storytelling engages and connects fans in truly unique ways,” Wilson stated.
• “I think it’s been that return to what made BioWare great and giving the studio the time to deliver against what makes BioWare great in the context of the Dragon Age world is what amounts to a game like Dragon Age: The Veilguard,” he concluded.
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard is launching tomorrow, October 31. The game will be one of Electronic Arts’ main releases in the third fiscal quarter, along with NHL 25.