Electronic Arts (EA) announced on Tuesday that it expects its fiscal 2026 bookings to exceed Wall Street forecasts, driven by confidence in its sports franchises and the impending launch of a new “Battlefield” game.
The company’s stock price rose by over six percent in after-hours trading, buoyed by the Battlefield release scheduled for this fiscal period, which comes in the wake of Take-Two Interactive postponing its much-anticipated “Grand Theft Auto VI” outside of fiscal 2026.
EA’s optimistic projections reflect a broader sense of confidence within the gaming industry regarding sales durability, even amidst a general decline in consumer spending tied to economic fluctuations influenced by US tariffs.
“Looking ahead, we are optimistic about our ability to execute on a robust pipeline, which begins this summer with the eagerly awaited Battlefield reveal,” stated EA CEO Andrew Wilson.
Market analysts assert that the delay of GTA VI lessens competition and may lead to increased revenues for other gaming companies.
Sales for the upcoming GTA installment are anticipated to set records and generate significant revenue within weeks of its release due to its immense popularity, potentially impacting the performance of other games releasing around the same time.
“Avoiding a clash with GTA is beneficial… Battlefield offers players something to engage with until the arrival of GTA,” remarked Michael Pachter, an analyst from Wedbush Securities.
EA has noted that gamers continue to engage with established titles from its sports lineup, such as the soccer franchise FC and Madden NFL.
In an update shared on Tuesday, EA revealed that monetization for the FC franchise had surged by double digits following a January update, especially following a period of underperformance earlier in the year.
The company’s forecast for fiscal 2026 bookings is estimated to be between $7.60 billion (approximately Rs. 64,366 crore) and $8 billion (around Rs. 67,734 crore), surpassing the analyst consensus of $7.62 billion (roughly Rs. 64,517 crore), based on data from LSEG.
EA reported bookings of $1.80 billion (around Rs. 15,241 crore) for its fourth quarter, exceeding estimates of $1.56 billion (about Rs. 13,209 crore), thanks in part to robust sales of its multiplayer action-adventure title Split Fiction, which ranked among the best-selling games for March.
© Thomson Reuters 2025
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