Electronic Arts teased its new Battlefield 6 and reported a strong first fiscal quarter ended June 30 thanks to a good performance for its EA Sports FC soccer game.
The new Battlefield 6 reveal is just days away and I’m going to attend the event.
“We delivered a strong start to FY26, outperforming expectations ahead of what will be the most exciting launch slate in EA’s history,” said Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts, in a statement. “From deepening player engagement in EA Sports to gearing up for Battlefield 6 and skate., we’re scaling our global communities and continuing to shape the future of interactive entertainment.”
In after-hours trading, EA’s stock price is down slightly a third of a percent to $146.90 a share. EA’s market cap is $37.1 billion.
“We exceeded the high end of our guidance in Q1 highlighting the resilience of our live services and the breadth of our portfolio,” said Stuart Canfield, CFO of Electronic Arts, in a statement. “With strong fundamentals and a robust pipeline ahead, we remain confident in our full-year guidance and long-term margin framework.”
Net bookings for the quarter totaled $1.298 billion, exceeding the high end of the guidance range of $1.275 billion.
EA said Q1 performance saw better-than-expected contributions from many areas in the portfolio, including EA Sports, Apex Legends, and catalog sales.
Global Football (EA Sports FC 26 soccer) delivered year-over-year growth in net bookings, highlighted by a record quarter in FC Mobile net bookings.
And EA SPORTS F1 25 delivered strong year-over-year net bookings growth, supported by an enhanced gameplay experience, including real-world integration with F1 The Movie.
Selected financial highlights and metrics
Net revenue was $1.671 billion for the quarter. And net cash provided by operating activities was $17 million for the quarter and $1.976 billion for the trailing twelve months.
Fiscal Year 2026 Expectations
EA said its outlook for fiscal year 2026 provided on May 6, 2025 remains unchanged. Net bookings is expected to be approximately $7.600 billion to $8.000 billion.
Net revenue is expected to be approximately $7.100 billion to $7.500 billion. Change in deferred net revenue (online-enabled games) is expected to be approximately $500 million.
GAAP operating expenses are expected to be approximately $4.470 billion to $4.570 billion. Net income is expected to be approximately $795 million to $974 million. Diluted earnings per share is expected to be approximately $3.09 to $3.79.
Operating cash flow is expected to be approximately $2.200 billion to $2.400 billion.
Q2 Fiscal Year 2026 Expectations for quarter ending September 30, 2025
Net bookings is expected to be approximately $1.800 billion to $1.900 billion. The company expects a more normalized curve for College Football full game sales,
partially offset by the launch of Madden NFL 26. College Football had a huge spurt last year because the game appeared for the first time in a decade, after EA’s breakup with the NCAA. Now the game is expected to move into a normal annual cycle. Expectations are that early momentum in Apex Legends and catalog continues.
This guidance includes a four-point year-over-year headwind related to phasing of the
EA SPORTS FC 26 Ultimate Edition content, which will largely be recognized in Q3.
Net revenue is expected to be approximately $1.750 billion to $1.850 billion. Change in deferred net revenue (online-enabled games) is expected to be approximately $50 million.
GAAP operating expenses are expected to be approximately $1.215 billion to $1.235 billion. Year-over-year growth in expenses is largely driven by marketing related to upcoming launches, notably Battlefield 6.
Net income is expected to be approximately $73 million to $117 million. Diluted earnings per share is expected to be approximately 29 cents to 46 cents a share.
Revenue for the quarter ended June 30 was $1.671 billion on a GAAP basis, while net income was $201 million, or 79 cents a share. That compared to revenue of $1.660 billion and net income of $280 million, or $1.04 a share.