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EA shuts down BioWare and ends work on the next Mass Effect

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EA shuts down BioWare and ends work on the next Mass Effect

Electronic Arts is closing BioWare, the studio behind Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. The company confirmed the closure in a statement, and the announcement sent to EA staff also says EA will not continue development of the next Mass Effect game.

The announcement came from Cam Weber, EA president and chief studios officer, and David Tinson, EA president and COO. They wrote that a small team at BioWare had been working on early development of Mass Effect, and that the decision not to move forward with it "means we're closing the studio and our Edmonton workspace." They added: "BioWare is a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre, and we do not take this decision lightly." BioWare's own message on social media said it is closing after more than 30 years, listed Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age, Mass Effect and Anthem, and ended with thanks to players.

Bloomberg reports that EA is laying off around 400 staffers overall, including around 50 at BioWare. Those figures come from Bloomberg; the EA message quoted by The Verge gives no numbers. The changes follow EA being taken private by an investor group led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, in a $55 billion deal that closed in August. The Verge notes that other big gaming companies have made sweeping cuts this year too: Xbox's "reset" will include 3,200 cuts, Bungie made "significant" layoffs, and Epic Games laid off over 1,000 staff.

The Verge points to a rough recent record for BioWare. Mass Effect: Andromeda (2017) was widely seen as a misstep for the franchise, the 2019 bet on live service games with Anthem did not pan out, and EA laid off some BioWare staff in 2025 after Dragon Age: The Veilguard missed sales expectations.

The fate of Amazon's Mass Effect TV series was unclear at first. An Amazon MGM Studios spokesperson, Nate Kirtman, declined to comment, and EA spokesperson Justin Higgs said he had "Nothing to share on that at this point." On Wednesday evening, IGN reported that the show is still in development.

The company-wide message also laid out the rest of EA's plans. EA calls itself the number one publisher in Western HD gaming, but says the industry is changing quickly, with more choice for players and more competition. In shooters, Battlefield 6 was "a great success", and EA will bring its Respawn and DICE studios together on a future project, which Bloomberg says is "likely" a new Star Wars: Battlefront game. EA will keep investing heavily in Apex. In action-adventure, two big launches are coming, Marvel's Iron Man and the next Star Wars Jedi game, and EA will concentrate on fewer large projects at a time. EA SPORTS is described as operating from a position of strength, with two new projects: "Project Gridiron," a social-first open-world American football experience, and a new Fight Night boxing game now in pre-production. For The Sims, EA will prioritize "Project Evergreen" and pause "Project Lotus." The live-service game skate. will get a more focused, smaller studio team. EA says it will support affected employees in exploring other opportunities within EA, and that the next Global Town Hall is in November.

Key facts

  • EA confirmed it is closing BioWare, maker of Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Knights of the Old Republic, and closing the Edmonton workspace.
  • Early development of the next Mass Effect project is ending; EA says a small team had been working on it.
  • Bloomberg reports around 400 EA layoffs overall, including around 50 at BioWare; EA's quoted message gives no figures.
  • The cuts follow EA's $55 billion take-private deal, which closed in August and was led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners.
  • EA is pausing The Sims' Project Lotus, shrinking the skate. studio, and moving ahead with Iron Man, a new Star Wars Jedi game, Project Gridiron and a new Fight Night.

Why it matters

BioWare is one of the best-known role-playing studios in games, and its closure ends a studio that EA itself says helped define the genre. It also ends the next Mass Effect game before it got past early development. The move comes right after EA went private in a $55 billion deal, and it sits alongside other large cuts this year at Xbox (3,200 cuts), Bungie and Epic Games (over 1,000 staff).

Who it affects

BioWare staff are the most directly hit: Bloomberg puts BioWare layoffs at around 50 and EA-wide layoffs at around 400. Fans of Mass Effect, Dragon Age and the studio's older games lose the next Mass Effect project. Teams elsewhere at EA are affected too, including the Sims team (Project Lotus paused) and the skate. studio (smaller, more focused team). The Amazon Mass Effect TV series is a separate matter; IGN reports it is still in development.

How to use it

There is nothing to adopt here; this is a business story. For anyone following EA, the message names what the company is still building: Marvel's Iron Man, a new Star Wars Jedi game, Project Gridiron, a new Fight Night, a Respawn and DICE collaboration, Project Evergreen for The Sims, and Apex. EA says its next Global Town Hall is in November, where it will discuss direction with staff.

How solid is it

Solid on the core facts. The closure and the end of the Mass Effect work come from EA's own announcement and BioWare's statement, as reported by The Verge. The 400 and 50 layoff figures are Bloomberg's reporting, not EA's. The new Star Wars: Battlefront game is Bloomberg's "likely" guess about the Respawn and DICE project, not something EA confirmed. The status of the Mass Effect TV show rests on IGN's report; Amazon MGM declined to comment.

Risks and caveats

No date is given for when BioWare will actually close or when staff will leave. The source does not say what happens to the BioWare brand or to the Mass Effect and Dragon Age IP, and gives no severance terms; EA only says it will support affected employees in exploring other opportunities within EA. The size of the small Mass Effect team is not stated. The Verge's account of BioWare's recent troubles (Andromeda, Anthem, Veilguard) is context, not a stated reason from EA for the closure.

“BioWare is a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre, and we do not take this decision lightly”

— Cam Weber, EA president and chief studios officer, and David Tinson, EA president and COO, in the announcement to staff