Despite selling over 7 million copies and being a major success for EA, Battlefield 6’s launch has been overshadowed by a significant controversy. Marcus Lehto, a seasoned developer who contributed to the game, claims that many essential team members were not properly credited.
The controversy centers on the credits for Battlefield 6, which reportedly omit several developers from Ridgeline Games. This studio, responsible for the game’s single-player campaign, was opened and then closed by EA within a two-year period. Lehto expressed his deep disappointment, emphasizing that Ridgeline’s team laid a critical foundation for the game and that every contributor deserves proper recognition.
A brief video guide for Battlefield 6, offering essential starter tips, is also available for players.
Lehto elaborated, stating, “These talented developers worked tirelessly for 1 to 2.5 years, building the foundation of the game, before I left voluntarily and the studio was subsequently shuttered.” He further explained that many of those laid off were relegated to a mere ‘Special Thanks’ section at the end of the credits, while several, including himself, were completely left out, despite their substantial contributions.
To highlight the issue, Lehto shared an edited image of the Battlefield 6 credits, manually adding the names and roles of those who were overlooked.
He stressed that “Game development is a team effort, and every contributor deserves fair acknowledgment,” advocating for industry-wide fairness.
Specific individuals Lehto identified as missing from the credits include lead character artist Addres Naranjo, lead technical artist Rohan Knuckey, software engineers Jessica Moore and Dan Carr, and Lehto himself.
GameSpot reached out to EA for their perspective on these allegations.
This isn’t an isolated incident, as similar credit omissions have occurred in other major titles such as Donkey Kong Country Returns HD and Baldur’s Gate 3.
Following the closure of Ridgeline, EA reassigned its developers to the Ripple Effect team. Subsequently, EA announced that Ripple Effect, alongside DICE, Motive, and Criterion, would collectively steer the future development of Battlefield 6 under the unified Battlefield Studios umbrella.
After the widespread layoffs in February 2024, which included the closure of Ridgeline, Lehto publicly stated he had “nothing positive to say” about EA. He lamented that “So many, including my team, are suffering due to the industry sweeping layoffs.”
Despite his criticisms, Lehto later offered, “Huge congratulations to all my colleagues involved around the globe in shipping this immense title! I know how much hard work went into it and wish you all the best.” This message was shared after Battlefield 6’s release.
Marcus Lehto is a highly respected figure in the video game industry, best known for his pivotal role in co-creating the iconic Halo franchise and its protagonist, Master Chief, during his 15-year tenure as an art director at Bungie in Chicago.
After leaving Bungie in 2012, Lehto founded V1 Interactive, which released the game Disintegration. Unfortunately, the game struggled to find an audience, leading to the studio’s closure. He subsequently joined EA in 2021, contributing to the Battlefield series until 2024.
An accompanying image gallery showcases optimal guns and weapon loadouts within Battlefield 6.