EA Shuts Down BioWare and Cancels the Next Mass Effect Game

• BioWare is closing: The studio confirmed that it is shutting down and that early development on the next Mass Effect has ended.

• About 400 layoffs: The cuts reported by Bloomberg extend beyond BioWare to other parts of EA.

• Other projects cancelled: In a letter to staff, EA also cancelled Project Lotus, a Sims-related game, and will focus on another Sims project code-named Evergreen.

• More cuts possible: According to GamesRadar+, internal remarks from EA's chief operating officer and chief strategy officer suggest further reductions to people and projects.

In its farewell post, BioWare looked back on more than three decades of games and said its focus now is on supporting its team through the transition. The studio also gave a nod to classics like Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights and Knights of the Old Republic.

Why EA Is Doing This

EA hasn't given an official reason for the closure, but the context is hard to miss. The publisher recently went private in a roughly $55 billion buyout led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which now owns more than 93% of the company. Affinity Partners, a private equity fund owned by Jared Kushner, also took part.

The deal left EA with about $18 billion in debt, and its board promised investors $700 million in annual cost savings. That pledge has already led to several rounds of layoffs. Going forward, EA says it will focus on sports titles, Apex Legends, and its Marvel and Star Wars projects.

A Rough Decade for BioWare

BioWare was founded in Edmonton, Alberta, in 1995 and built its reputation on story-driven RPGs. EA acquired the studio in 2007, and its recent history has been rocky.

• Star Wars: The Old Republic (2011): BioWare's first push into live-service games with an MMO.

• Anthem (2019): A troubled development cycle led to a buggy launch and a commercial failure.

• Dragon Age: The Veilguard (2024): After BioWare dropped planned live-service and multiplayer features, it shipped as a single-player game. EA said sales failed to meet expectations, reportedly by nearly 50%. Former BioWare executive Mark Darrah has blamed EA's unrealistic expectations.

BioWare went through repeated layoffs both before and after Veilguard launched.

What Happens to Mass Effect and Dragon Age?

EA still owns the Mass Effect and Dragon Age IP, so the series could continue at another studio or be sold to a different publisher. No plans have been announced either way.

The Mass Effect live-action series at Amazon MGM Studios is reportedly still in development, according to IGN. Showrunner Doug Jung and former BioWare chief Mike Gamble remain attached.

Fans Push Back

Fans haven't let the news pass quietly. A petition to save Mass Effect has reportedly passed 200,000 signatures and funded a billboard in Times Square. Some fans are urging Palworld developer Pocketpair to buy the IP. A Canadian politician has even floated government funding so BioWare's developers could buy the studio themselves. Meanwhile, Battlefield 6 reportedly pulled a planned Mass Effect cosmetics collaboration from its store.

Editor's Take

This one hurts. BioWare made some of my favorite games of all time: Neverwinter Nights, Knights of the Old Republic and Mass Effect. For years I pre-ordered every game the studio released. But after EA bought BioWare, the decline was hard to ignore, and it's sad to see a studio that once defined the RPG genre end this way.

This is a developing story.

Sources

• Kotaku: EA to Shut Down BioWare and Cancel the Next Mass Effect Game

• GamesRadar+: EA Cancels New Mass Effect, Closes BioWare

• GamingBible: Mass Effect Lives On After BioWare's Closure