US publishing giant Electronic Arts has reported a 15 per cent increase in the money made from net bookings for the year ending March 31st, 2021.

In a release on its website, the firm said that it clocked up $6.19 billion from this, adding that this was over $600 million more than it had forecast. No doubt this has something to do with the COVID-19 coronavirus, which saw people stuck indoors for large portions of the year looking for ways to fill the time and not lose their minds.

EA also reports that it attracted more than 42 million new players into its ecosystem during this period.

“Our teams have done incredible work over the last year to deliver amazing experiences during a very challenging time for everyone around the world,” CEO Andrew Wilson (pictured) said.

“With tremendous engagement across our portfolio, we delivered a record year for Electronic Arts. We’re now accelerating in FY22, powered by expansion of our blockbuster franchises to more platforms and geographies, a deep pipeline of new content, and recent acquisitions that will be catalysts for further growth.”

COO and CFO Blake Jorgensen added: “EA delivered a strong quarter, driven by live services and Apex Legends’ extraordinary performance. Apex steadily grew through the last year, driven by the games team and the content they are delivering. Looking forward, the momentum in our existing live services provides a solid foundation for FY22. Combined with a new Battlefield and our recent acquisitions, we expect net bookings growth in the high teens.”