Seattle's New EA Studio to Be Headed by Ex-Monolith VP Kevin Stephens

A new EA studio is coming to Seattle, bringing ex-Monolith execs Kevin Stephens and Samantha Ryan together to make a new open-world action-adventure game.


Published: May 19, 2021 2:03 PM /

By:


New EA Studio Seattle Kevin Stephens cover

A new EA studio is opening up in the Seattle area and it's tapped some interesting talent: former Monolith Productions VP Kevin Stephens and the same company's former President Samantha Ryan are both on board for this new venture.

As GamesIndustry.biz reports, EA has announced that ex-Monolith VP Kevin Stephens will be taking on the role of studio head for its new Seattle venture. This new Seattle game developer doesn't yet have a name, but it does have a particular focus: it's aiming to make a new open-world action-adventure game. That's a genre that Stephens is well-familiar with, and it also happens to be one of the areas EA isn't particularly strong with just yet.

New EA Studio Seattle Kevin Stephens slice

What Kevin Stephens & Samantha Ryan Bring to the Table for Seattle's New EA Studio

Kevin Stephens' history as a game developer has some pretty interesting stuff in it, especially in the realm of open-world action-adventure games. That makes him a pretty strong choice for this new EA studio in Seattle. His most recent work includes Middle-Earth: Shadow of War and Shadow of Mordor and Batman: Arkham City — exactly the kind of games that EA is seeking to make with this new Seattle studio. Samantha Ryan has quite a few interesting games under her belt over the years, too, but it is perhaps more important that she's worked with Kevin Stephens in the past. Two longtime colleagues getting this new studio started is certainly a good first step.

There is, of course, the matter of what kind of game this new EA studio in Seattle will be making. We do know that it's going to be some kind of open-world action-adventure game, but there are still a lot of questions up in the air: is it going to be an original property or a licensed game? Are we looking at some kind of live-service experience or a one-and-done single-player excursion? Either way, Samantha Ryan is confident that this new venture will create something worth playing.

"The action-adventure space is a hugely important genre in our industry, and to us at EA," Ryan told GamesIndustry.biz. "Players and fans of those games are so passionate and it's also one of my personal favorite genres. We've also recently had success with Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, and we would love to entertain more fans with similar interests."

Do you think Electronic Arts can make a good open-world action-adventure game? What do you think of EA's previous attempts at gaining a foothold in the genre? Let us know in the comments below!

Have a tip, or want to point out something we missed? Leave a Comment or e-mail us at tips@techraptor.net


A photograph of TechRaptor Senior Writer Robert N. Adams.
| Senior Writer

One of my earliest memories is playing Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I've had a controller in my hand since I was 4 and I… More about Robert N