Codemasters
Video games
Founded in England in 1986 by brothers Richard and David Darling. Acquired by Electronic Arts in 2021 for US$2.1 billion

Overall

Owned USA
Rating D
About the Ratings

Company Ownership

Codemasters Group Holdings plc
UK
Electronic Arts Inc
owns 100% of Codemasters Group Holdings plc
USA
Video games
One of the world's largest video games companies. Founded in 1982 by ex-Apple employee Trip Hawkins.

Company Assessment

(Last updated Jan 2024)
Codemasters Group Holdings plc
Information
Modern Slavery statement
California, the UK and Australia have all enacted legislation requiring companies operating within their borders to disclose their efforts to eradicate modern slavery from their operations and supply chains. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.
Glassdoor reviews
Follow the link to read reviews by former and current employees of this company to see what they have to say about the work culture.
Electronic Arts Inc
Praise
100% on Corporate Equality Index
This company is listed as having best practice on a report card on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality in corporate America.
Criticism
22/100 S&P Global ESG Score
This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 22/100 in the Interactive Media Services & Home Entertainment category of the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices (last updated 23 Sep 2022). The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.
Excessive CEO pay
As You Sow's 2023 report, 'The 100 Most Overpaid CEOs', reveals the 100 most overpaid CEOs from USA's 500 largest public companies (as determined by the S&P 500 list). This company's CEO, Andrew Wilson came in at number 19 on the list, having been paid US$39,165,820 in 2022. According to the report, "Most CEOs have come to be grossly overpaid, and that overpayment is harmful to the companies, the shareholders, the customers, the other employees, the economy, and society as a whole."
Information
Underpaying employees
In 2006 this company paid out US$30 million to settle two class action lawsuits. EA paid $15.6 million to settle a class-action lawsuit by computer graphic artists seeking overtime compensation. Then EA settled another lawsuit, paying US$14.9 million to programmers at various levels.
Poor working conditions
In 2020 Kotaku reported that the development process for Electronic Arts' Anthem game was fraught with indecision and mismanagement. This resulted in many workers suffering depression, anxiety and mental breakdowns, with many employees leaving the company. The final year of development involved lengthy overtime and lots of exhaustion, only to create a game panned by fans and critics.
20.4% in Newsweek Green Rankings 2016
This company received a score of 20.4/100 in the Newsweek Green Rankings 2016, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on eight indicators covering energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, fines and penalties, linking executive pay to sustainability targets, board-level committee oversight of environmental issues and third-party audits. Ranking methodology by Corporate Knights and HIP Investor.
Loot box lawsuit
While EA denies its loot boxes are a form of gambling, Belgium and Holland have banned the paid loot box system, and the company faces a lawsuit in France over the practice. EA made almost $1 billion in 3 months from microtransactions alone in late 2019.
CEO Pay Ratio of 159:1
In 2022 the median pay for a worker at this company was US$129,851. The CEO was paid 159 times this amount. Exorbitant CEO pay is a major contributor to rising inequality. CEOs are getting more because of their power to set pay, not because they are increasing productivity or possess specific, high-demand skills. The economy would suffer no harm if CEOs were paid less (or taxed more). In contrast, the CEO-to-typical-worker compensation ratio was 20-to-1 in 1965 and 58-to-1 in 1989.
Fair Play Alliance member
This company is a member of the Fair Play Alliance, a global coalition of gaming professionals and companies committed to developing quality games. They provide a forum for gaming professionals and companies to work together to develop and share best practices in encouraging healthy communities and awesome player interactions in online gaming. They envision a world where games are free of harassment, discrimination, and abuse, and where players can express themselves through play.
Environmental claims
This company has environmental claims on its website including in the area of environmental sustainability by reduction of their carbon footprint with digital products, supply chain management and green office initiatives.
Modern Slavery statement
California, the UK and Australia have all enacted legislation requiring companies operating within their borders to disclose their efforts to eradicate modern slavery from their operations and supply chains. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.
JUST Capital ranking
JUST Capital polls Americans every year to identify the issues that matter most in defining just business behaviour. For their 2024 rankings the public identified 20 issues, which are organised under the headings Workers, Communities, Customers, Shareholders and Environment. JUST Capital then define metrics that map to those issues and track and analyse the largest, publicly traded U.S. companies. This analysis powers their rankings, in which this company ranked 264th of 937 companies, and 4th of 16 Household & Leisure Goods companies.
Criticism of EA - Wikipedia
Criticism of EA includes studio acquisitions and closures, treatment of employees, game quality, sports licensing and exclusivity and loot boxes.
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Company Details

Type:
Public company
Founded:
1986
Revenue:
127 million GBP (2020)
Employees:
814 (2020)

Contact Details

Address:
Southam, United Kingdom
Website:
www.codemasters.com

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