Electronic Arts won’t be increasing the base price of its games anytime soon, CEO Andrew Wilson confirmed during the company’s latest earnings call. The announcement comes as Nintendo and Microsoft push new games into the $80 price range, sparking debate across the gaming community.
EA says quality and value matter more than price tags
When asked about the possibility of raising game prices, Wilson was clear. EA’s approach is focused on delivering “incredible quality and exponential value” to players, not simply charging more. He pointed out that the industry has evolved a lot in the past decade, with digital sales, free-to-play models, and tiered editions now dominating the market.
“Whether we’re doing something that costs a dollar, or $10, or $100, our objective is always to deliver incredible quality and exponential value for our playerbase,” Wilson said. “And what we’ve discovered over the course of time is when we can marry quality and value together, our business is strong, resilient, and continues to grow.”
EA’s business model no longer depends on retail disc sales
Wilson also noted that physical game sales are now a “significantly smaller” part of EA’s business. This shift means the company has more flexibility in how it prices games. From free-to-play titles to deluxe editions with extra content, EA says it already operates across a wide pricing spectrum.
“Ten years ago, everything we did was about selling shiny discs in plastic boxes on retail shelves,” Wilson explained. “That’s still a part of our business, but it’s much smaller now.”
CFO confirms no changes to pricing strategy for now
EA CFO Stuart Canfield reinforced Wilson’s comments, saying the company has “reflected no changes” in its pricing strategy. While he didn’t rule out adjustments in the future, the message was clear: standard editions of EA’s biggest franchises will likely stay at the $70 mark for now.
This includes titles like EA Sports FC 26, Madden 26, and Battlefield. Fans can expect these games to stick to current pricing, even as special and ultimate editions continue to push higher.
Live services keep EA profitable without price hikes
EA’s latest financial report shows the company is doing well without raising game prices. Net bookings for the last year hit $7.355 billion, virtually flat from the previous year. More importantly, 73% of that revenue came from live services — including microtransactions, DLC, and ongoing game content.
EA Sports franchises also had record years. Wilson highlighted that the American Football series alone surpassed $1 billion in net bookings. Meanwhile, The Sims saw “double digital growth” in the last quarter. These numbers suggest EA doesn’t need to hike prices to stay profitable.
What this means for gamers and the industry
With Nintendo charging $80 for Switch 2 exclusives like Mario Kart World and Microsoft planning $80 tags for some first-party Xbox games, EA’s stance offers a bit of relief to gamers. For now, at least, EA is bucking the trend and sticking to $70 standard editions.
That said, EA’s heavy reliance on ultimate editions and in-game purchases leaves room for pricing shifts elsewhere. Ultimate Team bundles, for example, often cost well over $100 and may become the real battleground for pricing in the next few years.
For now, though, EA is keeping base game prices steady. And in an industry where sticker shock is becoming more common, that may be the most player-friendly move of all.