EA exec Patrick Soderlund is leaving the company

Patrick Söderlund, chief design officer and frequent spokesperson for Electronic Arts, is exiting the company. CEO Andrew Wilson addressed the departure in an open letter to employees, writing that Söderlund is gearing up for “his next life adventure.”

“Today we are announcing that Patrick Söderlund has made the decision to move on from EA,” Wilson wrote. “After nearly two decades as a pioneer for our company and industry, he will begin a new chapter later this year.”

Neither Wilson nor Söderlund has opened up about where the former EA Worldwide Studios executive will be heading. Regardless, this marks a major loss for the company: Formerly CEO of Battlefield developer DICE, Söderlund rose up the ranks at Electronic Arts after it acquired the Swedish studio. He oversaw the company as it introduced numerous technology and creative changes, including the development of the company-standard Frostbite engine.

Electronic Arts will reorganize some of its teams upon Söderlund’s departure during the next quarter, tentatively three months from now. That includes moving Johan Andersson’s team, which directs work on the SEED team, over to the primary studios part of the company to fill in some of the gap.

Next up for EA, among other titles, is Battlefield 5 — a game surely close to Söderlund’s heart, even as he’s moved on from his focus on Battlefield.

Update: Johan Andersson’s team has no impact on that which is working on Frostbite. We’ve clarified his position in the story above.