EA Partners reportedly facing closure

Electronic Arts' EA Partners label, a program that provides contract-based publishing for numerous independent studios, will soon be shutting down, Game Informer is reporting.

This apparent closure follows the departure of CEO John Riccitiello, layoffs across the publisher's mobile and social game sectors and the shuttering of a number of Facebook titles developed by Playfish, the studio EA purchased for roughly $300 million in 2009.

Partners was founded in 1997 under Tom Frisina, best known for his role as co-founder of Accolade and Three-Sixty. A decade later, EA would help to publish a number of successful titles including Harmonix's Rock Band, Valve's The Orange Box and Crytek's Crysis.

We have contacted EA for further details and will update when more information becomes available.