Electronic Arts today said it is expanding its existing Salt Lake City, Utah development studio as it ramps up work on a new "groundbreaking project," whose team will be formed by a core from EA Redwood Shores' The Sims Studio. An unspecified number of The Sims Studio developers are making the move, but EA has yet to fill out the team; in a statement, the company said it is still seeking to fill various "critical leadership" positions. "We're truly thrilled to expand into Salt Lake City and what is becoming a growing and dynamic video game development scene," said EA's Ben Bell. Bell is one of the Sims developers making the move, having most recently served as executive producer on The Sims 3. The move comes after Electronic Arts made sweeping layoffs across numerous internal studios. CEO John Riccitiello also recently observed the high cost of employment in EA's home state of California, saying the company would be looking closely at more affordable development centers in other states and countries. EA Salt Lake was created in 2006 when Electronic Arts acquired Headgate Studios. Headgate was founded in 1992 and was briefly owned by Sierra Entertainment between 1996 and 1999. Prior to the EA purchase, Headgate had established a long relationship with EA as a developer of Tiger Woods PGA Tour games. Since the EA Salt Lake transition it has been focused most heavily on Wii games of various genres. No details were provided on the genre or platform of the new title.