Electronic Arts paid chief executive Andrew Wilson 305 times more than its average employee last year, driven largely by an $8 million increase in his bonus, despite the company cutting jobs following the Battlefield 6 launch. The disclosure highlights a widening pay gap at EA just as the publisher pushes through layoffs affecting staff who worked on one of its flagship franchises, raising fresh questions about executive compensation during periods of workforce reduction.

The pay gap comes to light as EA moves towards a buyout, a deal that could see Wilson walk away with a severance package worth as much as $125 million on top of his regular compensation. Critics are likely to point to the contrast between rank-and-file job losses tied to Battlefield 6 and the scale of rewards flowing to the company's top executive, particularly with a lucrative payout potentially still to come once the acquisition closes.