EA Redwood Shores

EA Redwood Shores was an internal game development studio of Electronic Arts based in Redwood Shores, California. The studio operated under that name from 1998 until 2009, when EA rebranded it as Visceral Games following the success of Dead Space. Before Dead Space established the studio’s identity as a horror developer, EA Redwood Shores spent a decade producing licensed games based on major film franchises. Visceral Games operated until October 2017, when EA closed it entirely.

Licensed Games and Early Output

EA Redwood Shores built its early catalog on film and franchise adaptations. Future Cop: LAPD in 1998 was an original action game that developed a cult following. James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire in 2001 was a well-received first-person shooter. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in 2003 adapted the film’s action sequences into a brawler that sold well on the strength of the license. The Godfather in 2006 was an open-world crime game that drew inevitable comparisons to Grand Theft Auto and received mixed reviews despite solid sales. These projects gave the studio technical experience with third-person and first-person games that directly informed the Dead Space development.

Dead Space and the Visceral Games Rebrand

Dead Space released in October 2008 and was the studio’s breakthrough original IP. A survival horror game set on a derelict mining spaceship overrun by reanimated corpses called Necromorphs, it received strong reviews for its atmosphere, dismemberment combat system, and the decision to integrate the HUD into the game world rather than using a traditional overlay. The game sold well enough to justify sequels and established the studio as capable of more than licensed output. EA rebranded the studio Visceral Games in 2009 to reflect that shift. Under the Visceral name the studio released Dante’s Inferno (2010), Dead Space 2 (2011), Dead Space 3 (2013), and Battlefield Hardline (2015) before EA shut it down in October 2017, cancelling an unannounced Star Wars single-player game that was in development at the time of closure.