EA closes BioWare and ends work on the next Mass Effect
Electronic Arts is cutting about 400 jobs and shutting down the studio behind Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Knights of the Old Republic after more than three decades.
One of the most important studios in RPG history is closing. On October 21, Electronic Arts announced a restructuring that includes about 400 layoffs, roughly 3% of its workforce, and the closure of BioWare, the Edmonton studio behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age.
The end of the next Mass Effect
According to Bloomberg, around 50 people at BioWare were working on the next Mass Effect, which was still in early development. The project has been cancelled. In a message to fans, the studio wrote: "Now, after more than three decades of shared adventures, BioWare is closing and early development on the next Mass Effect project is ending." It added: "There is nothing easy about writing those words."
EA said in a statement that "BioWare is a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre, and we do not take this decision lightly."
What else changes at EA
The internal memo, signed by executives Cam Weber and David Tinson, says the company is "making deliberate choices" across its portfolio. Among the changes reported:
- A new Sims project, known as Project Lotus, was cancelled, while Project Evergreen became the priority.
- Resources were pulled from skate.
- Respawn and DICE will work together on a future project. Bloomberg reports it is likely a new Star Wars: Battlefront.
- The focus moves to sports games, Apex Legends, the Iron Man game and the next Star Wars Jedi.
A new owner, a new strategy
The cuts come weeks after EA became a private company. The US$ 55 billion deal, led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund with Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, closed in August.
Thirty years of history
BioWare was founded in 1995 and quickly became a reference with Baldur's Gate. It went on to make Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, launched Mass Effect in 2007 and Dragon Age: Origins in 2009. Its last game was Dragon Age: The Veilguard, released in 2024. For a whole generation of players, the name stood for big choices and memorable companions, and its closure marks the end of an era.
