Why is Full Circle laying off staff?

Studio restructuring for a struggling Skate revival

Full Circle, the developer working on EA’s revived Skate, has announced staff reductions as part of a company restructuring. The studio framed the move as a step to "better support" the live, free-to-play skating game — saying fewer people will let it "move faster, listen more closely, and deliver consistently." Those statements accompany acknowledgement that the project requires changes after an underwhelming player response.

Public reactions from the player community and journalists have been mixed, with some players saying the game missed key expectations and that the player base has dwindled. Industry coverage indicates the layoffs are happening amid ongoing concerns about live-service stability, player retention, and the ability to fund and staff ongoing content for an online title.

What the studio has said:

• The restructure is intended to improve the game’s long-term support and roadmap.
• Full Circle remains committed to providing updates despite the smaller team.

Unknowns and implications:

• The company hasn’t specified how many employees were affected or which teams were cut.
• Reduced headcount could slow feature development, reduce support capacity, or change update cadence.
• Community confidence could be shaken; live-service games rely on a steady stream of content to retain players.

Why it matters: layoffs at a visible live-service studio spotlight the risks of reviving beloved franchises under a free-to-play model. If player numbers continue to shrink and staffing is reduced, the game could enter a feedback loop where fewer updates drive fewer players, which in turn pressures remaining resources. Full Circle’s next updates and communication with its community will be crucial in determining whether the project stabilizes or continues to falter.