What Happened to Electronic Arts Los Angeles (EALA)?
Electronic Arts Los Angeles (EALA) originated as DreamWorks Interactive in 1995, was acquired by Electronic Arts in 2000, and became a prominent developer for the *Medal of Honor* and *Command & Conquer* franchises. In 2010, it was rebranded as Danger Close Games to focus solely on *Medal of Honor*, but after the poor reception of *Medal of Honor: Warfighter* in 2012, Danger Close Games was dissolved in 2013. Its remnants formed DICE LA, which later became Ripple Effect Studios in 2021, now developing its own projects.
Quick Answer
EA Los Angeles (EALA) underwent several transformations before its effective dissolution. Originally DreamWorks Interactive, it was acquired by Electronic Arts in 2000 and renamed EALA, becoming known for *Medal of Honor* and *Command & Conquer* titles. In 2010, it was rebranded as Danger Close Games to focus exclusively on the *Medal of Honor* series. Following the commercial and critical failure of *Medal of Honor: Warfighter* in 2012, Danger Close Games was shut down in January 2013. Some of its staff formed the foundation for DICE LA, which was later rebranded as Ripple Effect Studios in 2021 and is now developing its own games, including a new *Battlefield* title as of 2026.
📊Key Facts
📅Complete Timeline12 events
Founded as DreamWorks Interactive
The studio was established as a joint venture between DreamWorks SKG and Microsoft, with operations in Los Angeles and Redmond, Washington.
Released Original Medal of Honor
DreamWorks Interactive released the first *Medal of Honor* game for PlayStation, which became a significant title in the first-person shooter genre.
Acquired by Electronic Arts and Renamed EA Los Angeles
Electronic Arts acquired the Los Angeles studio of DreamWorks Interactive and rebranded it as EA Los Angeles (EALA), focusing on the *Medal of Honor* series.
Merged with EA Pacific and Westwood Studios Remnants
EALA consolidated with EA Pacific and absorbed staff from the closed Westwood Studios, moving to a new campus in Playa Vista and beginning work on the *Command & Conquer* series.
Announced Command & Conquer 4
EA Los Angeles announced *Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight*, aiming to bring an epic conclusion to the Tiberium series.
Rebranded as Danger Close Games
EA Los Angeles was rebranded as Danger Close Games, with a new mandate to exclusively focus on the *Medal of Honor* franchise.
Released Medal of Honor (2010 Reboot)
Danger Close Games released the modern warfare reboot of *Medal of Honor*, with its single-player campaign developed by the studio and multiplayer by EA DICE.
Released Medal of Honor: Warfighter
The sequel, *Medal of Honor: Warfighter*, was released but faced poor critical reception and commercial performance.
Danger Close Games Dissolved
Following the poor performance of *Warfighter*, Electronic Arts put the *Medal of Honor* series on hold, leading to the effective closure and dissolution of Danger Close Games.
DICE LA Formed
Some senior staff from the dissolved Danger Close Games formed the foundation for a new studio, DICE LA, a division of EA DICE, initially serving as a support studio.
DICE LA Rebranded to Ripple Effect Studios
Under the leadership of Vince Zampella, DICE LA was rebranded as Ripple Effect Studios, signaling a shift towards developing its own original projects.
Ripple Effect Studios Confirmed to be Working on New Battlefield Game
Justin Wiebe, Senior Design Director at Ripple Effect Studios, confirmed that the studio's next project is a *Battlefield* game, marking a significant new chapter for the team.
🔍Deep Dive Analysis
The studio known as EA Los Angeles (EALA) began its journey on March 22, 1995, as DreamWorks Interactive, a joint venture between DreamWorks SKG and Microsoft. Initially, the studio developed a variety of titles, including the critically acclaimed Medal of Honor in 1999, which laid the groundwork for the historic war-based combat genre. In February 2000, Electronic Arts acquired the Los Angeles studio of DreamWorks Interactive for an estimated $10 million, renaming it EA Los Angeles. Under EA, the studio continued to work on the Medal of Honor series, releasing titles like Medal of Honor: Underground.
A significant turning point occurred in January 2003 when EA Los Angeles was merged with EA Pacific and received employees from the recently closed Westwood Studios. This consolidation led EALA to expand its portfolio, taking over the development of the popular Command & Conquer real-time strategy series, alongside the Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth franchise. The studio moved to a new, larger campus in Playa Vista, California, designed to house over 1,000 employees and foster innovation.
In July 2010, Electronic Arts rebranded EA Los Angeles as Danger Close Games, with a dedicated focus on revitalizing the Medal of Honor franchise. The studio's first project under this new name was the 2010 Medal of Honor reboot, which received generally positive reviews and was a commercial success, with its multiplayer component developed by EA DICE. A sequel, Medal of Honor: Warfighter, was released in October 2012. However, Warfighter received poor critical reception and commercial performance, leading Electronic Arts to announce in January 2013 that the Medal of Honor series would be put 'out of rotation' and on hold.
This decision effectively led to the dissolution of Danger Close Games in January 2013. While Danger Close Games ceased to exist as a distinct entity, some of its staff transitioned to form the groundwork for DICE LA in May 2013, a new studio under the umbrella of EA DICE. Initially, DICE LA primarily served as a support studio for DICE's main team in Stockholm, contributing to titles like Battlefield 4, Star Wars: Battlefront, and Battlefield 1. In 2020, Vince Zampella, co-founder of Respawn Entertainment, took over leadership of DICE LA with the goal of establishing its own identity and developing original games.
As a result of this strategic shift, DICE LA was officially rebranded as Ripple Effect Studios in 2021. Ripple Effect Studios is now focused on developing its own projects, moving beyond its previous support role. As of April 2026, the studio has confirmed it is working on a new Battlefield game, indicating a significant step towards its independent development future within Electronic Arts.
What If...?
Explore alternate histories. What if Electronic Arts Los Angeles (EALA) made different choices?