EA Spouse
The blog that exposed crunch
The 2004 anonymous blog post by Erin Hoffman that exposed Electronic Arts' brutal overtime practices, sparking industry-wide discussion of working conditions and resulting in class action lawsuits.
Overview
“EA Spouse” was the pseudonymous 2004 blog post by Erin Hoffman describing her fiancé’s brutal working conditions at Electronic Arts. The post detailed 85+ hour weeks, cancelled time off, and management indifference. It went viral, sparked class action lawsuits, and forced industry-wide discussion of crunch culture.
Fast Facts
- Published: November 2004
- Author: Erin Hoffman (revealed 2005)
- Subject: EA’s working conditions
- Impact: Lawsuits, settlements, industry discussion
- Platform: LiveJournal
The Revelations
| Condition | Detail |
|---|---|
| Hours | 85+ per week |
| Duration | Months without end |
| Comp time | Promised but never given |
| Overtime pay | None (salaried exempt) |
| Time off | Cancelled repeatedly |
The Fallout
| Event | Result |
|---|---|
| Viral spread | Picked up by mainstream media |
| Class actions | Artists and programmers sued |
| Settlements | $15.6M to artists, $14.9M to programmers |
| Policy changes | EA improved conditions (temporarily) |
The Post’s Power
| Element | Effect |
|---|---|
| Personal | Put human face on statistics |
| Detailed | Specific, verifiable claims |
| Timing | Pre-social media viral success |
Legacy
The EA Spouse post remains the most significant single document in game industry labour history. It proved that public exposure could force change and inspired subsequent revelations at other companies. The issues it raised—crunch, overtime classification, work-life balance—remain unresolved.