Further speculation is suggesting that EA Canada’s‭ ‬Burnaby studio is next in line for the troubled publisher’s ongoing staff cut measures.‭

Citing anonymous sources close to the matter,‭ ‬news blog‭ ‬Kotaku reports that as many as‭ ‬55‭ ‬workers at EA Canada are facing layoffs.‭ ‬The sources also suggest that the redundancies will directly affect future production of the PSP Need For Speed titles.

In December EA announced that it would seek to cut‭ ‬1000‭ ‬staff from its global workforce to recoup losses.‭ ‬Numerous studios have since been affected by the cost cutting measures,‭ ‬most recently some‭ ‬200‭ ‬workers at EA’s Black Box studio.‭

EA has also stated that it will review its game portfolio with plans to drop‭ ‬“SKUs from the bottom levels of profitability.‭”

EA’s most recent Need For Speed title,‭ ‬NFS:‭ ‬Undercover,‭ ‬was known to have fallen short of sales expectations.‭ ‬Its debut week in the‭ ‬UK charts had been the least-successful of the series for a number of years.‭

“As announced in February,‭ ‬all EA divisions and facilities worldwide are subject to a cost cutting initiative that will impact roughly‭ ‬10‭ ‬percent of the employee population,‭”‬ read a response sent to Kotaku.‭ ‬“Those cuts will take place between December and the end of our fiscal year in March.‭”

Original piece said EA Black Box is closed, but although it has been consolidated with a nearby studio, it will still exist in name.