EA Playtesting Platform

Overview

We were brought in by Electronic Arts to revamp the frontend of their internal playtesting platform and add new features to enhance the playtesting workflow across studios. The project involved modernizing the UI, improving performance, and building new capabilities — all integrated with EA's existing .NET backend infrastructure. Due to NDA, we can only share limited details about this engagement.

The Challenge

EA needed a modern, responsive frontend to replace an aging internal tool while also introducing new features to enhance the playtesting experience within the company. The platform had to integrate seamlessly with existing .NET microservices via SignalR for real-time updates during live playtesting sessions. Performance was critical — the tool needed to handle hundreds of concurrent participants without lag.

Our Approach

We built the new frontend with React and Vite for fast build times and HMR during development. TanStack Query managed server state and caching, reducing redundant API calls. SignalR provided bi-directional real-time communication for live session updates — when a participant submitted feedback or a session status changed, every connected client updated instantly. The architecture was designed around EA's existing .NET backend, requiring no changes to their infrastructure.

Technical Breakdown

React + Vite delivered sub-second HMR and optimized production bundles. TanStack Query handled server state with automatic background refetching and cache invalidation. SignalR WebSocket connections enabled real-time participant tracking and live session dashboards. TypeScript enforced strict typing across all API contracts with the .NET backend. The component architecture was designed for reusability across multiple EA studio teams.

Key Features

• Complete frontend revamp with modern React architecture
• New playtesting features to enhance studio workflows
• Real-time session management with live participant tracking
• SignalR-powered instant updates across all connected clients
• Role-based access control for different studio teams
• Reporting dashboards with exportable data

Results

Successfully delivered and integrated into EA's internal tooling ecosystem. Due to NDA, specific metrics and feature details cannot be shared.