Marcus Letho, the director of the Battlefield game and co-creator of Halo, has left EA. Letho, who oversaw Seattle-based Ridgeline Games, an EA studio devoted to the Battlefield series, appears to have removed all references to the game or EA from their social media bios. They have also modified their LinkedIn profile to reflect their departure from the company.
Fans of Battlefield are wondering what will happen to the shooter series now that Lehto has left the company without making an official announcement or any guidance on what they plan to do next. It was commonly believed that Lehto was brought on to steer the series after Battlefield 2042’s disappointing showing. In a similar vein, EA has not publicly responded to Lehto’s exit.
We’ve contacted EA and will provide an update if and when we hear back. Back in 2021, the editor of Eurogamer who used to go by Martin wrote about Battlefield 2042.
“For all its breadth and scope, Battlefield 2042 feels like the most muddled, compromised, and confused entry in the series yet – a more existential problem than faced by the likes of Battlefield 4 through its similarly troubled launch.”
There is a possibility, though, that DICE may be able to pull off what it did so brilliantly with Battlefield 4 and Battlefront 2, which both had their share of controversy. With a little more polish and concentration, Battlefield 2042 may still have a bright future. There are enough instances of the game’s classic charm mixed in with some clever but raw new concepts.
If Letho departs, what will become of the Battlefield series?
Letho oversaw Ridgeline Games, an EA studio devoted to the Battlefield franchise that was situated in Seattle. However, Letho has now announced his departure from EA and severed all links to both Battlefield and the company on his LinkedIn page and social network bios. There are no job openings on Ridgeline Games’ career page, and Chris Matthews, the studio’s co-founder and art director, left in January 2024 to work for Bungie, the developers of Destiny.
Letho did not provide a formal announcement of his resignation or indicate what he would do next. Fans of Battlefield are concerned about the series’ future, though, given the departure. It was believed that Letho was brought in to guide the series following the underwhelming success of Battlefield 2042. Comparably, EA has not released an official comment on Letho’s exit. Despite Battlefield 2042’s detractors, DICE is believed to be able to pull off what it did so brilliantly with Battlefield 4 and later Battlefront 2. Although it was first launched in an unsatisfactory form, 2042 was also released with updates and fixes.
About Marcus Letho
Halo: Reach’s Creative Director and a longtime Bungie employee Marcus Letho. Beginning in 1997, he contributed to every Bungie game from Halo: Reach to Myth: The Fallen Lords. His initials on Master Chief’s boot, his birthday inscribed on the Scorpion tank, and the well-known fact that some players found hidden behind the Spartan models in the multiplayer beta of Halo 3 are just a few examples of the easter eggs he is renowned for hiding in-game models that he created.
