EA at GDC: AI, machine learning, and much more

Technology and its impact on interactive entertainment experiences is nothing short of remarkable.

AI and machine learning are allowing our creators to explore new ways to test games, build worlds, and create deeper, more immersive experiences at a faster rate without sacrificing quality.

Our artists are empowered to create more realistic, dynamic animations and visuals at a greater scale, delivering more cinematic moments that draw us in and leave us stunned. Or completely immersed in the most enthralling environments possible, surrounded by and interacting with authentic, high-fidelity characters.

Above all, these advancements connect and offer millions of EA’s players and fans around the globe new ways to play, create, watch, and connect in and beyond our games like never before.

This week, at the Game Developers Conference (GDC), EA’s brilliant minds showcased some of these technological innovations, highlighting how they empower our developers to craft extraordinary interactive entertainment experiences. Their talks provided insight into the cutting-edge tools and techniques driving the future of game development at EA, and the positive impact this will have on our developers, players and fans across the globe.

“By empowering, accelerating and expanding historically labor-intensive projects, our world-class developers are able to focus on key areas–player experience, gameplay innovations, updates, and more.”

EA x GDC: developer tools, AI and machine learning

At GDC, our developers spoke to how AI and machine learning are transforming game development in  a number of critical ways, highlighting a few areas it has already been used,  and others currently under exploration.

First up was a classic challenge–pathfinding.

Pathfinding in games refers to the process of determining the most efficient route or path for a character or object to move from one point to another, usually within a map or environment. This is a crucial component in game design, especially for games that involve characters, enemies, or NPCs that need to navigate a virtual world.

Utilizing AI and machine learning, our creators are learning new and improved ways for pathfinding to occur in-game, making the world and its characters feel more natural and alive.

And this is just one example. Our developers at GDC also spoke to the power of toolkits and the impact it has already had on some of our most beloved EA SPORTS titles.

This year saw the launch of EA SPORTS Madden NFL 25 and the grand return of College Football 25, tentpoles of our beloved American Football ecosystem. AI and machine learning helped us deliver even bigger, more expansive experiences for millions of players and fans around the globe.

In particular is the Stadium Creation Toolkit, which empowered our developers to create 150+ unique stadiums. In addition were machine learning tools that helped our artists create thousands of unique athletes–a core part of the unmatched authenticity and immersion our players and fans have come to love.

By empowering, accelerating and expanding historically labor-intensive projects, our world-class developers are able to focus on key areas–player experience, gameplay innovations, updates, and more.

All of these tools and technologies work in tandem to better serve our fans, and bolster how we are building massive online communities, connecting hundreds of millions of players across the world.

“Creating game art is complex, especially with textures, and how artists handle detailed surface maps packed into various channels of multiple textures. EA Motive and SEED have addressed this challenge by developing Texture Sets.”

Advancing graphics

Another theme our teams covered at GDC was how we’re advancing graphics. Creating game art is complex, especially with textures, and how artists handle detailed surface maps packed into various channels of multiple textures. EA Motive and SEED have addressed this challenge by developing Texture Sets.

This innovative approach bundles related textures into a single asset, streamlining the creation process and enhancing graphical fidelity. 

These benefits aren’t only noticeable to developers, as players will be able to enjoy visual improvements in future titles. Texture Sets is also now available on GitHub, making it accessible to developers everywhere!

GDC 2025 and beyond

As the world of interactive entertainment evolves, EA remains committed to staying ahead of the curve. With a culture deeply embedded in innovation, we continue to encourage and support the world-class talent who create the next-generation tools and technologies that drive our industry forward.

Inspired by our innovation? Explore exciting career opportunities at EA and see how you can contribute to the next great immersive experience for players worldwide.