Since opening in 2013 following the closure of Electronic Arts' Danger Close Studio, DICE LA has been a part of some of the biggest games that EA has put out. The studio has had a hand in each of the mainline Battlefield games from Battlefield 4 on, Mirror's Edge Catalyst, and even both Star Wars Battlefront games. However, since its founding, the studio has primarily been a support studio, assisting rather than creating.
However, the tide appears to be turning for the mostly behind the scenes studio. Not only is DICE LA in charge of the mysterious third mode in the upcoming Battlefield 2042, Electronic Arts is giving more responsibility to DICE LA General Manager Christian Grass and the developers located there. Part of that is making the studio more known to fans and one of the best ways to do that is a rebrand to help not only attract more developers but to obtain a bigger presence with players.
The rebrand, which has been in development for a little over a year, includes a studio name change from DICE LA to Ripple Effect Studios. The name was chosen following a team vote, and is intended to be a fresh start for the studio who is looking to aggressively staff up as it sets out to create its first "yet-to-be-announced" game. For now, Ripple Effect will finish development on Battlefield 2042 and its game mode before officially switching over to the new project.
The idea for Ripple Effect's transformation started back in January 2020 when Group GM Vince Zampella wanted to rethink the studio's role after taking over leadership duties, giving it a new image where people viewed it more as a destination to create new content rather than simply being a support studio. Currently, Grass isn't revealing what the studio is working on, simply doubling down on the fact that the studio is made up of shooter veterans from Medal of Honor and the Battlefield franchises, something which Grass isn't afraid to have the studio lean into.
I want a studio where everything you do is quality. We have a high-quality development process, we're really good at leadership, we really focus on how to act and behave because that's important. We focus on the smallest details and make sure that we drive that high quality.
Whatever the future holds for Ripple Effect, it'll be one that is shaped by its past. Grass mentioned that he's learned a lot from Danger Close, before its eventual shut down over the poor reception to Medal of Honor: Warfighter. The team is setting out to create high quality games with a team that is both in-person from Los Angeles as well as remotely across the United States. To help accommodate this goal, the studio is also moving into a brand new office space that is being designed with a hybrid work setup in mind due to the ongoing cornonavirus pandemic.
For now, fans can learn more about Ripple Effect's newest addition to Battlefield 2042 this month starting with a panel on July 8 as well as at the big EA Play show later this month.
Source: IGN