“In order to break out beyond the core audience, games need to directly connect to the evolving demands of players who increasingly seek shared-world features and deeper engagement alongside high-quality narratives in this beloved category,” Wilson said in an investor call.

EA did announce that The Veilguard underperformed, even if expectations were perhaps set a little too high, but blaming this on the game not being a Fortnite ripoff misses the poi

The Veilguard failed at least partially because it didn’t have live-service elements. The gaming landscape has changed quite radically over the last decade. Games like Destiny and Fortnite have encouraged developers to look toward making its games everlasting rather than an experience that lasts a finite amount of time.