The video games publisher Electronic Arts has revealed a new logo for Frostbite, the multi-platform game engine that powers its biggest franchises. The new Frostbite logo design still features a hand, but it's much softer and no longer shattered into a million lethal jagged shards.
EA says there's a deep meaning behind the change, which is intended not only as a visual shift but also to represent a more profound philosophical evolution for the brand. It might be too late to make it into our pick of the best and worst new logo designs of 2023, but I'm quite taken the newfound cuddlesome approach.
Growing more human, the Frostbite logo over the years (Image credit: Electronic Arts)
The new Frostbite logo comprises fluid consecutive overlapping layers, smoothing out the sharp edges of previous designs. Electronic Arts says the new branding is intended to present its engine as a "platform for collaborative innovation" with an emphasis on partnerships with teams and collaborators.
It notes that the previous two versions of the Frostbite logo featured a fractured or broken handprint. "This made sense when we were emphasizing our destructible environments in Battlefield," it says, "but with today’s rebrand, we wanted to tell a different story – one about the collaborative relationships transforming Frostbite from within." Aww.
The layered contours in the new logo design (Image credit: Electronic Arts)
EA says the layers in the new design reflect "how our teams build upon each other’s strengths, reaching beyond what is possible when they work alone". It goes on to say that "each layer, like each piece of Frostbite technology, is both an innovation and a foundation, enabling the layer above it and building toward a cohesive whole." Meanwhile, the smoother edges reflect the brand's "commitment to addressing Frostbite’s rougher edges, creating a smoother experience for both creators and players."
And there's more. It says the "innately human" handprint "represents both the human touch that brings games to life and the creative imprint left behind by every person who helps get those games to launch." The handprint is also a "point of connection, keeping us in touch with our past and everyone who has contributed to Frostbite." That's a lot to pack into a logo design.
EA will also use the new logo to frame games "against the many layers of effort and expertise that bring them to life" (Image credit: Electronic Arts)
EA also seems to have had a change of heart when it comes to its philosophy of seeding Frostbite into every game possible. It says that EA game teams are now "free to develop on any engine they choose." All in all, it seems it's woken up a new person.
Get the Creative Bloq Newsletter
Daily design news, reviews, how-tos and more, as picked by the editors.
Frostbite was developed by DICE in 2008 for Battlefield: Bad Company and only expanded beyond Battlefield around five years later, providing the base of Mass Effect and Dragon Age. In 2015, it was introduced to EA Sports titles such as FIFA and Madden NFL.
For more ingenious new logo designs with hidden meanings, see the new Hodder & Stoughton logo.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news, features and buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment and software for creatives, from video editing programs to monitors and accessories. A veteran news writer and photographer, he now works as a project manager at the London and Buenos Aires-based design, production and branding agency Hermana Creatives. There he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing visual content and design assets for the hospitality sector. He also dances Argentine tango.
